It Isn't Hard
by Esseo
Summary: 01x02 A long roleplay we hope to complete someday... Love you, 02. Can't be sure this is in order. It was pulled from Tumblr before the great CLEANSE.


It Isn't Hard.

Heero did not enjoy his occupation.

It involved a lot of arbitrary responsibility that kept him confined to a desk. He had quickly learned to loath the sight of pens and paperclips. He hated the chitchat that lingered in the lunchroom and the florescent lights that washed everything out in a garish shade of yellow.

Occasionally, he would get a break. He would be deployed to interfere with an arms operation or deter a budding group of political terrorists. These missions were the highlight of his schedule, but they always ended too soon,

Twenty-four hours.

Forty-eight hours.

A week.

It didn't matter. Any span of time would have seemed too soon because immediately after completing his assignment, he would be pulled back to a private shuttle and made to sit through an adrenaline rush with the knowledge that he would be enslaved to an office at the end of his flight.

By his second year, Heero Yuy had become disgruntled.

No one knew this better than Duo Maxwell, who shared both a shift and a cubical with his frustration. Heero's disquiet manifested through stringency. His work was always accurate; aways on time. And, because Maxwell was his assigned partner, Heero often pummeled him with the same expectations that he held himself to.

"This was due Tuesday." He grasped a stack of late transmission logs without altering the position he'd accepted them in. His stare burned through Maxwell's face, daring an excuse that wouldn't satisfy. Duo took an unnecessarily loud sip from his soda can. Unfazed. "You get that I have to resubmit the entire report everytime you do this, right?"

duoordie

It Isn't Hard.

Heero did not enjoy his occupation.

It involved a lot of arbitrary responsibility that kept him confined to a desk. He had quickly learned to loath the sight of pens and paperclips. He hated the chitchat that lingered in the lunchroom and the florescent lights that washed everything out in a garish shade of yellow.

Occasionally, he would get a break. He would be deployed to interfere with an arms operation or deter a budding group of political terrorists. These missions were the highlight of his schedule, but they always ended too soon,

Twenty-four hours.

Forty-eight hours.

A week.

It didn't matter. Any span of time would have seemed too soon because immediately after completing his assignment, he would be pulled back to a private shuttle and made to sit through an adrenaline rush with the knowledge that he would be enslaved to an office at the end of his flight.

By his second year, Heero Yuy had become disgruntled.

No one knew this better than Duo Maxwell, who shared both a shift and a cubical with his frustration. Heero's disquiet manifested through stringency. His work was always accurate; aways on time. And, because Maxwell was his assigned partner, Heero often pummeled him with the same expectations that he held himself to.

"This was due Tuesday." He grasped a stack of late transmission logs without altering the position he'd accepted them in. His stare burned through Maxwell's face, daring an excuse that wouldn't satisfy. Duo took an unnecessarily loud sip from his soda can. Unfazed. "You get that I have to resubmit the entire report everytime you do this, right?"

duoordie

duoordie

Duo sighed heavily as he began walking up the stairs to his assigned floor. His preventer jacket was zipped up to his neck, his ever present braid swinging behind him with every step. He'd walked this same way for every shift he had to sit through. The beginning of a headache did not improve his mood, a feeling he could only describe as his spine pushing into his brain along with an uncomfortable pressure behind his eyes signaled an evening that would feel three times as long as it actually was. It had been weeks since he had been on a mission, and more importantly weeks since Heero had been on a mission. He knew he was in for it, his paperwork was two days late and with Heero's growing frustration at being chained to a desk he knew he was going to catch hell for this overall minor transgression.

The security door beeped as he passed through it, before he made his was to their assigned cubicle. It was situated in a corner, and slightly bigger than the ones around it to accommodate the two occupants. He could already hear the fever quick typing of his partner. There was no greeting as he entered, not even a glance from blue eyes as the lithe body moved to his desk and withdrew his overdue logs. Just another piece of useless paperwork in a never ending line of useless paperwork.

They weren't made for this. At least, Duo knew he and Heero weren't. The office politics were crushing them, and every method they knew how to fight back with was stripped from them.

Hands better suited to wiring explosives dropped the messily filled out logs into Heero's desk's inbox. "Here." Boredom was evident in his voice. The other pilots retort made Maxwell's body tense, but he played it off by dropping himself down into his chair and sipping loudly from a day old soda. "Well it's there now, I'm sure you can handle it." Duo was frustrated too. He was tired of playing office games, having to be friendly to everyone he saw, and always doing what he was told. His work became sloppy, it was his own tiny, meaningless rebellion.

noheero

"It's your job to handle it."

He spoke with the same tone as always; exhibiting a numbness he'd developed during the war. It was meant to discuss blasts and bloodshed. Not cooperate policy. Heero turned his chair to better berate his cubical mate. "It's what the ESUN pays you to do." Duo took another sip from his cola can. His braid was hanging over the back of his seat, like a draped noose. It would have been easy to yank it backwards - easy to lay him out on the slate-colored carpet under their boots.

"And it's not hard."

Incoming heels.

"-Aw, You two having a lovers quarrel? Be good, now!"

Heero made no effort to acknowledge their obtrusive commentator. She didn't know them. She only knew the rumors that were circulating about them; rumors that were slowly, but surely disintegrating their partnership.

It wasn't the idea of being committed, really. Committing to a relationship was a normal thing to do, but. There had been no commitment between Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. Their friendship had barely been blooming into something comfortable when the gossip had started.

It had swiftly ruined their shared lunches and wilted their inside jokes. Their closeness had been brought to a screeching halt the moment the office had proclaimed them lovers and suffocated their nonexistent-romance with unwanted enthusiasm. Heero had never voiced any complaints, but his breaks had dwindled to a rarity. He'd adapted to eating lunch at his desk and running local errands alone.

"If you don't want to follow protocol, quit." Heero turned back to his computer to resume punishing his keyboard.

It Isn't Hard.

Heero did not enjoy his occupation.

It involved a lot of arbitrary responsibility that kept him confined to a desk. He had quickly learned to loath the sight of pens and paperclips. He hated the chitchat that lingered in the lunchroom and the florescent lights that washed everything out in a garish shade of yellow.

Occasionally, he would get a break. He would be deployed to interfere with an arms operation or deter a budding group of political terrorists. These missions were the highlight of his schedule, but they always ended too soon,

Twenty-four hours.

Forty-eight hours.

A week.

It didn't matter. Any span of time would have seemed too soon because immediately after completing his assignment, he would be pulled back to a private shuttle and made to sit through an adrenaline rush with the knowledge that he would be enslaved to an office at the end of his flight.

By his second year, Heero Yuy had become disgruntled.

No one knew this better than Duo Maxwell, who shared both a shift and a cubical with his frustration. Heero's disquiet manifested through stringency. His work was always accurate; aways on time. And, because Maxwell was his assigned partner, Heero often pummeled him with the same expectations that he held himself to.

"This was due Tuesday." He grasped a stack of late transmission logs without altering the position he'd accepted them in. His stare burned through Maxwell's face, daring an excuse that wouldn't satisfy. Duo took an unnecessarily loud sip from his soda can. Unfazed. "You get that I have to resubmit the entire report everytime you do this, right?"

duoordie

duoordie

Duo sighed heavily as he began walking up the stairs to his assigned floor. His preventer jacket was zipped up to his neck, his ever present braid swinging behind him with every step. He'd walked this same way for every shift he had to sit through. The beginning of a headache did not improve his mood, a feeling he could only describe as his spine pushing into his brain along with an uncomfortable pressure behind his eyes signaled an evening that would feel three times as long as it actually was. It had been weeks since he had been on a mission, and more importantly weeks since Heero had been on a mission. He knew he was in for it, his paperwork was two days late and with Heero's growing frustration at being chained to a desk he knew he was going to catch hell for this overall minor transgression.

The security door beeped as he passed through it, before he made his was to their assigned cubicle. It was situated in a corner, and slightly bigger than the ones around it to accommodate the two occupants. He could already hear the fever quick typing of his partner. There was no greeting as he entered, not even a glance from blue eyes as the lithe body moved to his desk and withdrew his overdue logs. Just another piece of useless paperwork in a never ending line of useless paperwork.

They weren't made for this. At least, Duo knew he and Heero weren't. The office politics were crushing them, and every method they knew how to fight back with was stripped from them.

Hands better suited to wiring explosives dropped the messily filled out logs into Heero's desk's inbox. "Here." Boredom was evident in his voice. The other pilots retort made Maxwell's body tense, but he played it off by dropping himself down into his chair and sipping loudly from a day old soda. "Well it's there now, I'm sure you can handle it." Duo was frustrated too. He was tired of playing office games, having to be friendly to everyone he saw, and always doing what he was told. His work became sloppy, it was his own tiny, meaningless rebellion.

noheero

"It's your job to handle it."

He spoke with the same tone as always; exhibiting a numbness he'd developed during the war. It was meant to discuss blasts and bloodshed. Not cooperate policy. Heero turned his chair to better berate his cubical mate. "It's what the ESUN pays you to do." Duo took another sip from his cola can. His braid was hanging over the back of his seat, like a draped noose. It would have been easy to yank it backwards - easy to lay him out on the slate-colored carpet under their boots.

"And it's not hard."

Incoming heels.

"-Aw, You two having a lovers quarrel? Be good, now!"

Heero made no effort to acknowledge their obtrusive commentator. She didn't know them. She only knew the rumors that were circulating about them; rumors that were slowly, but surely disintegrating their partnership.

It wasn't the idea of being committed, really. Committing to a relationship was a normal thing to do, but. There had been no commitment between Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. Their friendship had barely been blooming into something comfortable when the gossip had started.

It had swiftly ruined their shared lunches and wilted their inside jokes. Their closeness had been brought to a screeching halt the moment the office had proclaimed them lovers and suffocated their nonexistent-romance with unwanted enthusiasm. Heero had never voiced any complaints, but his breaks had dwindled to a rarity. He'd adapted to eating lunch at his desk and running local errands alone.

"If don't want to follow protocol, quit." Heero turned back to his computer to resume punishing his keyboard.

duoordie

A scowl painted Duo's face. None of this really mattered. A hundred snarky comments pelted his tongue but never made it past his teeth. He signed, and turned his chair away. He wasn't going to go through this same old office argument. It had happened too many times to hold any interest now.

A passing comment destroyed his attempt at nonchalance. The braided boys shoulders rose, and his spine was suddenly ramrod straight. He'd heard it too often. All these shitty little rumors spread about them. Duo walked quietly, years of experience in stealth had effected him so much that that was just how he moved now. So he heard them all, no one knowing he was there until he rounded the corner on their more than inappropriate conversations.

"Heero and Duo are definitely a couple!" "They're so cute together!" "Who do you think is playing catcher?" "They share lunch even!" "They were here so late, I bet they had the whole office to do whatever they wanted."

It went on and on. The idea of being close to Heero never bothered him, in fact for a while he's thought maybe their relationship was moving that way on it's own. They'd been friends, and they had shared both bloodshed and bitterness in their lives. Duo even admitted that one of the main reasons he went to the Preventers was following Heero. The constant chatter about them was what bothered Duo. It soured any attempt he made towards being kind to Heero. Bringing him a coffee when he was low, offering to help him with projects or anything else a friend would do… was suddenly poisoned with ulterior motives.

Near violet eyes glanced at Heero, as though somehow it was his stoic partner's fault that their relationship had degraded. That it was his fault they couldn't even share comfortable silence anymore. Squared shoulders turned to leave the confines of their cubicle. "I'm going for a coffee." Silent steps moved the habitually dark dressed form quickly away.

noheero

The night progressed with an uncomfortable, but not unusual, amount of silence. Heero buried himself in work. He spent his shift rifling through piles of paper and alternating between programs on his computer. Duo was treated with cold indifference; acknowledged only when a work-related-question placed Heero's productivity on pause.

Overtime assignments offered no relief. Although the partners were allowed the privacy of an empty office past midnight, they kept their backs to each other. Unwilling to face the rumors that each of them embodied.

With or without overtime, Maxwell was always the first to leave. On short nights, he never waited for the office clock to confirm '00:00'. At 23:50, he would press his hands to his desk and push himself up from his chair, as though he'd just reached a violent decision. Which was fine because his habit saved them both from a quiet venture down the facility's hallway, a muted eternity in the elevator, and a sudden divorce in the parking lot.

In the beginning, Duo had tried to right things by inviting his coworker to dinner or mundane after-shift activities, but his efforts had been continuously rejected. Eventually, they had dwindled to small talk…before fading to numb 'goodbye's and finally, to nothing-at-all.

Tonight was no different. Duo vanished. Heero casually reorganized his desk before heading to his apartment. An alleyway was all that separated the Preventer building from his complex. It was the recommended abode for agents - providing discounted rent (as well as discounted living conditions.) He could afford a better flat, but saw no point in searching. His apartment was a place for sleeping. Occasionally, for eating. Peeling walls and loose outlets didn't matter, as long as his mattress was clean and Ming's kept delivering meals.

Heero locked up, then stood in the dark without a purpose. Neon light flooded from the opposite side of his living space. It crept in through his window, snuck over his bed and settled on the adjacent wall - an inner city shade of blue. He watched it blink to pink while removing his jacket, which was suddenly too heavy and too hot. It was discarded on the floor, along with his shoes.

Upon reaching his bed, the Preventer flopped face-first onto it's mattress, displaying a boyish protest of exhaustion. After a few, blissful moments of nothing, he crawled into a more comfortable position and pulled the pillow over his head, blocking out the sounds and lights that surrounded his residence.

Someday, he'd invest in curtains.

It Isn't Hard.

Heero did not enjoy his occupation.

It involved a lot of arbitrary responsibility that kept him confined to a desk. He had quickly learned to loath the sight of pens and paperclips. He hated the chitchat that lingered in the lunchroom and the florescent lights that washed everything out in a garish shade of yellow.

Occasionally, he would get a break. He would be deployed to interfere with an arms operation or deter a budding group of political terrorists. These missions were the highlight of his schedule, but they always ended too soon,

Twenty-four hours.

Forty-eight hours.

A week.

It didn't matter. Any span of time would have seemed too soon because immediately after completing his assignment, he would be pulled back to a private shuttle and made to sit through an adrenaline rush with the knowledge that he would be enslaved to an office at the end of his flight.

By his second year, Heero Yuy had become disgruntled.

No one knew this better than Duo Maxwell, who shared both a shift and a cubical with his frustration. Heero's disquiet manifested through stringency. His work was always accurate; aways on time. And, because Maxwell was his assigned partner, Heero often pummeled him with the same expectations that he held himself to.

"This was due Tuesday." He grasped a stack of late transmission logs without altering the position he'd accepted them in. His stare burned through Maxwell's face, daring an excuse that wouldn't satisfy. Duo took an unnecessarily loud sip from his soda can. Unfazed. "You get that I have to resubmit the entire report everytime you do this, right?"

duoordie

duoordie

Duo sighed heavily as he began walking up the stairs to his assigned floor. His preventer jacket was zipped up to his neck, his ever present braid swinging behind him with every step. He'd walked this same way for every shift he had to sit through. The beginning of a headache did not improve his mood, a feeling he could only describe as his spine pushing into his brain along with an uncomfortable pressure behind his eyes signaled an evening that would feel three times as long as it actually was. It had been weeks since he had been on a mission, and more importantly weeks since Heero had been on a mission. He knew he was in for it, his paperwork was two days late and with Heero's growing frustration at being chained to a desk he knew he was going to catch hell for this overall minor transgression.

The security door beeped as he passed through it, before he made his was to their assigned cubicle. It was situated in a corner, and slightly bigger than the ones around it to accommodate the two occupants. He could already hear the fever quick typing of his partner. There was no greeting as he entered, not even a glance from blue eyes as the lithe body moved to his desk and withdrew his overdue logs. Just another piece of useless paperwork in a never ending line of useless paperwork.

They weren't made for this. At least, Duo knew he and Heero weren't. The office politics were crushing them, and every method they knew how to fight back with was stripped from them.

Hands better suited to wiring explosives dropped the messily filled out logs into Heero's desk's inbox. "Here." Boredom was evident in his voice. The other pilots retort made Maxwell's body tense, but he played it off by dropping himself down into his chair and sipping loudly from a day old soda. "Well it's there now, I'm sure you can handle it." Duo was frustrated too. He was tired of playing office games, having to be friendly to everyone he saw, and always doing what he was told. His work became sloppy, it was his own tiny, meaningless rebellion.

noheero

"It's your job to handle it."

He spoke with the same tone as always; exhibiting a numbness he'd developed during the war. It was meant to discuss blasts and bloodshed. Not cooperate policy. Heero turned his chair to better berate his cubical mate. "It's what the ESUN pays you to do." Duo took another sip from his cola can. His braid was hanging over the back of his seat, like a draped noose. It would have been easy to yank it backwards - easy to lay him out on the slate-colored carpet under their boots.

"And it's not hard."

Incoming heels.

"-Aw, You two having a lovers quarrel? Be good, now!"

Heero made no effort to acknowledge their obtrusive commentator. She didn't know them. She only knew the rumors that were circulating about them; rumors that were slowly, but surely disintegrating their partnership.

It wasn't the idea of being committed, really. Committing to a relationship was a normal thing to do, but. There had been no commitment between Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. Their friendship had barely been blooming into something comfortable when the gossip had started.

It had swiftly ruined their shared lunches and wilted their inside jokes. Their closeness had been brought to a screeching halt the moment the office had proclaimed them lovers and suffocated their nonexistent-romance with unwanted enthusiasm. Heero had never voiced any complaints, but his breaks had dwindled to a rarity. He'd adapted to eating lunch at his desk and running local errands alone.

"If don't want to follow protocol, quit." Heero turned back to his computer to resume punishing his keyboard.

duoordie

A scowl painted Duo's face. None of this really mattered. A hundred snarky comments pelted his tongue but never made it past his teeth. He signed, and turned his chair away. He wasn't going to go through this same old office argument. It had happened too many times to hold any interest now.

A passing comment destroyed his attempt at nonchalance. The braided boys shoulders rose, and his spine was suddenly ramrod straight. He'd heard it too often. All these shitty little rumors spread about them. Duo walked quietly, years of experience in stealth had effected him so much that that was just how he moved now. So he heard them all, no one knowing he was there until he rounded the corner on their more than inappropriate conversations.

"Heero and Duo are definitely a couple!" "They're so cute together!" "Who do you think is playing catcher?" "They share lunch even!" "They were here so late, I bet they had the whole office to do whatever they wanted."

It went on and on. The idea of being close to Heero never bothered him, in fact for a while he's thought maybe their relationship was moving that way on it's own. They'd been friends, and they had shared both bloodshed and bitterness in their lives. Duo even admitted that one of the main reasons he went to the Preventers was following Heero. The constant chatter about them was what bothered Duo. It soured any attempt he made towards being kind to Heero. Bringing him a coffee when he was low, offering to help him with projects or anything else a friend would do… was suddenly poisoned with ulterior motives.

Near violet eyes glanced at Heero, as though somehow it was his stoic partner's fault that their relationship had degraded. That it was his fault they couldn't even share comfortable silence anymore. Squared shoulders turned to leave the confines of their cubicle. "I'm going for a coffee." Silent steps moved the habitually dark dressed form quickly away.

noheero

The night progressed with an uncomfortable, but not unusual, amount of silence. Heero buried himself in work. He spent his shift rifling through piles of paper and alternating between programs on his computer. Duo was treated with cold indifference; acknowledged only when a work-related-question placed Heero's productivity on pause.

Overtime assignments offered no relief. Although the partners were allowed the privacy of an empty office past midnight, they kept their backs to each other. Unwilling to face the rumors that each of them embodied.

With or without overtime, Maxwell was always the first to leave. On short nights, he never waited for the office clock to confirm '00:00'. At 23:50, he would press his hands to his desk and push himself up from his chair, as though he'd just reached a violent decision. Which was fine because his habit saved them both from a quiet venture down the facility's hallway, a muted eternity in the elevator, and a sudden divorce in the parking lot.

In the beginning, Duo had tried to right things by inviting his coworker to dinner or mundane after-shift activities, but his efforts had been continuously rejected. Eventually, they had dwindled to small talk…before fading to numb 'goodbye's and finally, to nothing-at-all.

Tonight was no different. Duo vanished. Heero casually reorganized his desk before heading to his apartment. An alleyway was all that separated the Preventer building from his complex. It was the recommended abode for agents - providing discounted rent (as well as discounted living conditions.) He could afford a better flat, but saw no point in searching. His apartment was a place for sleeping. Occasionally, for eating. Peeling walls and loose outlets didn't matter, as long as his mattress was clean and Ming's kept delivering meals.

Heero locked up, then stood in the dark without a purpose. Neon light flooded from the opposite side of his living space. It crept in through his window, snuck over his bed and settled on the adjacent wall - an inner city shade of blue. He watched it blink to pink while removing his jacket, which was suddenly too heavy and too hot. It was discarded on the floor, along with his shoes.

Upon reaching his bed, the Preventer flopped face-first onto it's mattress, displaying a boyish protest of exhaustion. After a few, blissful moments of nothing, he crawled into a more comfortable position and pulled the pillow over his head, blocking out the sounds and lights that surrounded his residence.

Someday, he'd invest in curtains.

duoordie

Duo returned with his already cooling coffee to the cubicle. Even though they sat practically back to back, there was no warmth to be found in the meager space they shared. The braided boy even stretched once, his chair lightly knocking into the other's, and still there was no response. No comment about watching what he was doing, not even a grunt of annoyance. The constant clicking of keys sounded like a Morse code of defeated attempts at conversation. The papers bled together. Form after form, fill-in-the-blank, transfer here, post here, an endless sea of Times Standard Roman. It numbed his brain, the sun set slowly without either man's eyes marking it's progress.

Ten minutes before midnight Duo stood up. This had become his habit. When they'd first started, he had made a point in always walking with Heero. Chatting at him about their day, silly things that occurred to him. Even trying to get the stoic man to come with him to whatever afterwards, even though he was always rejected. Now the air between them was stifling, unbreathable. He had no intention of confining the messy haired brunet to his company any longer than work demanded. It was the only small courtesy he could give him now.

The braided boy made his way to his apartment building. The same building most of the single or young preventers lived at. Heero lived here too, though on a different floor. Duo tried not to think about that. His apartment was not what one would call decorated. There was a bed in the bedroom, a small table next to it. A couch in the livingroom, but no tv. The kitchen by far had the most in sheer number of objects, but it was what he needed to cook with. He wasn't good in the kitchen by any means, but he had no intention of starving. Slim hands hung his coat in the closet. He had never had any visitors. Duo been an orphan, and then a wandering soldier. He'd never really understood people's rampant need for stuff. All it meant was more things to carry, and more things to loose. For a while, he had toyed with the idea of getting a pet, but had quickly decided against it. The company had appeal, but the responsibility for another life was not something he wanted to handle.

Maybe, some how, if he ever figured out how to talk to Heero…. he could decorate the place a little. Invite a friend over. But for now all he could do was flop into his bed and wait for sleep to take him.

noheero

A dark cell.

The only light it ever saw came from an open door, which Heero was currently obstructing. Florescent promise pooled in a little circle ahead of his feet, not quite reaching the back of the room. He didn't need illumination to recognize the legs that were sprawled across the floor or the voice that echoed above them.

'Go right ahead and shoot me.'

Heero knew this moment. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do and that he wasn't going to do it. He knew and still, he stepped forward – towards his target's dare. Duo Maxwell became visible against the shadows. He didn't appear exactly as he was supposed to. He was without his catholic collar. And without the jodhpurs that had once inflated his slim thighs. He was sitting in the right position, with his hands miserably draped between his legs and his back pressed to the wall, but he was wearing blue jeans and a Preventer jacket.

'Go right ahead and shoot me.'

"I will. Just give me time."

"We're all outta that." Duo sat forward. His bangs fell into his eyes, veiling their competitive gleam. "You're a decisive guy. Make a decision."

His cuffed hands rose between them. Duo's lengthy fingers felt over the barrel of Heero's gun. They spidered up either side of it's shape to harass it's details.

"Stop it. We're not like that."

Heero didn't know what he was saying, only that he didn't like the profane motion of Duo's palms. They swept teasingly up his firearm before retreating back down it's barrel.

"You don't want this? Everyone is saying-"

"-I don't."

"I never pegged you for a liar, Heero."

"I'm not."

"Then come closer."

Against his better judgement, he obeyed. One, fatal step gave Duo enough range to feel all the way up the gun and over it's owner's wrist.

Warm fingers.

Heero could feel them where he shouldn't have been able do; sliding down his weapon. His metal. His shaft. Squeezing a little too near the trigger. "You need to stop." His animosity had weakened to a whisper. "We're not like that." Duo only rose to his knees. He was overeager and teetered a little too far to the left before righting himself. His braid fell over one shoulder. It's curvature was sleek and soft and beautiful.

He leaned forward while cradling the underside of Heero's barrel. His quirked lips always made him look like he had some kind of secret, but they gave away nothing upon parting. Except the sight of his tongue. Its praising tip rendered Heero silent. Hot breath fogged over the edge of his .45.

Duo closed in…

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

Heero's alarm blared to life. He sat up and breathed over it's call while trying to process reality. He hadn't asked for any sexual imagery or the physical response it had summoned. Sleep had just inflicted it on him, along with a million reminders he'd never wanted.

About the way Duo Maxwell grinned. About the way he walked and held his drinks. About the way his hair swayed and about the grit beneath his voice. Heero left his bed to wash away his thoughts under a dose of frigid water.

It Isn't Hard.

Heero did not enjoy his occupation.

It involved a lot of arbitrary responsibility that kept him confined to a desk. He had quickly learned to loath the sight of pens and paperclips. He hated the chitchat that lingered in the lunchroom and the florescent lights that washed everything out in a garish shade of yellow.

Occasionally, he would get a break. He would be deployed to interfere with an arms operation or deter a budding group of political terrorists. These missions were the highlight of his schedule, but they always ended too soon,

Twenty-four hours.

Forty-eight hours.

A week.

It didn't matter. Any span of time would have seemed too soon because immediately after completing his assignment, he would be pulled back to a private shuttle and made to sit through an adrenaline rush with the knowledge that he would be enslaved to an office at the end of his flight.

By his second year, Heero Yuy had become disgruntled.

No one knew this better than Duo Maxwell, who shared both a shift and a cubical with his frustration. Heero's disquiet manifested through stringency. His work was always accurate; aways on time. And, because Maxwell was his assigned partner, Heero often pummeled him with the same expectations that he held himself to.

"This was due Tuesday." He grasped a stack of late transmission logs without altering the position he'd accepted them in. His stare burned through Maxwell's face, daring an excuse that wouldn't satisfy. Duo took an unnecessarily loud sip from his soda can. Unfazed. "You get that I have to resubmit the entire report everytime you do this, right?"

duoordie

duoordie

Duo sighed heavily as he began walking up the stairs to his assigned floor. His preventer jacket was zipped up to his neck, his ever present braid swinging behind him with every step. He'd walked this same way for every shift he had to sit through. The beginning of a headache did not improve his mood, a feeling he could only describe as his spine pushing into his brain along with an uncomfortable pressure behind his eyes signaled an evening that would feel three times as long as it actually was. It had been weeks since he had been on a mission, and more importantly weeks since Heero had been on a mission. He knew he was in for it, his paperwork was two days late and with Heero's growing frustration at being chained to a desk he knew he was going to catch hell for this overall minor transgression.

The security door beeped as he passed through it, before he made his was to their assigned cubicle. It was situated in a corner, and slightly bigger than the ones around it to accommodate the two occupants. He could already hear the fever quick typing of his partner. There was no greeting as he entered, not even a glance from blue eyes as the lithe body moved to his desk and withdrew his overdue logs. Just another piece of useless paperwork in a never ending line of useless paperwork.

They weren't made for this. At least, Duo knew he and Heero weren't. The office politics were crushing them, and every method they knew how to fight back with was stripped from them.

Hands better suited to wiring explosives dropped the messily filled out logs into Heero's desk's inbox. "Here." Boredom was evident in his voice. The other pilots retort made Maxwell's body tense, but he played it off by dropping himself down into his chair and sipping loudly from a day old soda. "Well it's there now, I'm sure you can handle it." Duo was frustrated too. He was tired of playing office games, having to be friendly to everyone he saw, and always doing what he was told. His work became sloppy, it was his own tiny, meaningless rebellion.

noheero

"It's your job to handle it."

He spoke with the same tone as always; exhibiting a numbness he'd developed during the war. It was meant to discuss blasts and bloodshed. Not cooperate policy. Heero turned his chair to better berate his cubical mate. "It's what the ESUN pays you to do." Duo took another sip from his cola can. His braid was hanging over the back of his seat, like a draped noose. It would have been easy to yank it backwards - easy to lay him out on the slate-colored carpet under their boots.

"And it's not hard."

Incoming heels.

"-Aw, You two having a lovers quarrel? Be good, now!"

Heero made no effort to acknowledge their obtrusive commentator. She didn't know them. She only knew the rumors that were circulating about them; rumors that were slowly, but surely disintegrating their partnership.

It wasn't the idea of being committed, really. Committing to a relationship was a normal thing to do, but. There had been no commitment between Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. Their friendship had barely been blooming into something comfortable when the gossip had started.

It had swiftly ruined their shared lunches and wilted their inside jokes. Their closeness had been brought to a screeching halt the moment the office had proclaimed them lovers and suffocated their nonexistent-romance with unwanted enthusiasm. Heero had never voiced any complaints, but his breaks had dwindled to a rarity. He'd adapted to eating lunch at his desk and running local errands alone.

"If don't want to follow protocol, quit." Heero turned back to his computer to resume punishing his keyboard.

duoordie

A scowl painted Duo's face. None of this really mattered. A hundred snarky comments pelted his tongue but never made it past his teeth. He signed, and turned his chair away. He wasn't going to go through this same old office argument. It had happened too many times to hold any interest now.

A passing comment destroyed his attempt at nonchalance. The braided boys shoulders rose, and his spine was suddenly ramrod straight. He'd heard it too often. All these shitty little rumors spread about them. Duo walked quietly, years of experience in stealth had effected him so much that that was just how he moved now. So he heard them all, no one knowing he was there until he rounded the corner on their more than inappropriate conversations.

"Heero and Duo are definitely a couple!" "They're so cute together!" "Who do you think is playing catcher?" "They share lunch even!" "They were here so late, I bet they had the whole office to do whatever they wanted."

It went on and on. The idea of being close to Heero never bothered him, in fact for a while he's thought maybe their relationship was moving that way on it's own. They'd been friends, and they had shared both bloodshed and bitterness in their lives. Duo even admitted that one of the main reasons he went to the Preventers was following Heero. The constant chatter about them was what bothered Duo. It soured any attempt he made towards being kind to Heero. Bringing him a coffee when he was low, offering to help him with projects or anything else a friend would do… was suddenly poisoned with ulterior motives.

Near violet eyes glanced at Heero, as though somehow it was his stoic partner's fault that their relationship had degraded. That it was his fault they couldn't even share comfortable silence anymore. Squared shoulders turned to leave the confines of their cubicle. "I'm going for a coffee." Silent steps moved the habitually dark dressed form quickly away.

noheero

The night progressed with an uncomfortable, but not unusual, amount of silence. Heero buried himself in work. He spent his shift rifling through piles of paper and alternating between programs on his computer. Duo was treated with cold indifference; acknowledged only when a work-related-question placed Heero's productivity on pause.

Overtime assignments offered no relief. Although the partners were allowed the privacy of an empty office past midnight, they kept their backs to each other. Unwilling to face the rumors that each of them embodied.

With or without overtime, Maxwell was always the first to leave. On short nights, he never waited for the office clock to confirm '00:00'. At 23:50, he would press his hands to his desk and push himself up from his chair, as though he'd just reached a violent decision. Which was fine because his habit saved them both from a quiet venture down the facility's hallway, a muted eternity in the elevator, and a sudden divorce in the parking lot.

In the beginning, Duo had tried to right things by inviting his coworker to dinner or mundane after-shift activities, but his efforts had been continuously rejected. Eventually, they had dwindled to small talk…before fading to numb 'goodbye's and finally, to nothing-at-all.

Tonight was no different. Duo vanished. Heero casually reorganized his desk before heading to his apartment. An alleyway was all that separated the Preventer building from his complex. It was the recommended abode for agents - providing discounted rent (as well as discounted living conditions.) He could afford a better flat, but saw no point in searching. His apartment was a place for sleeping. Occasionally, for eating. Peeling walls and loose outlets didn't matter, as long as his mattress was clean and Ming's kept delivering meals.

Heero locked up, then stood in the dark without a purpose. Neon light flooded from the opposite side of his living space. It crept in through his window, snuck over his bed and settled on the adjacent wall - an inner city shade of blue. He watched it blink to pink while removing his jacket, which was suddenly too heavy and too hot. It was discarded on the floor, along with his shoes.

Upon reaching his bed, the Preventer flopped face-first onto it's mattress, displaying a boyish protest of exhaustion. After a few, blissful moments of nothing, he crawled into a more comfortable position and pulled the pillow over his head, blocking out the sounds and lights that surrounded his residence.

Someday, he'd invest in curtains.

duoordie

Duo returned with his already cooling coffee to the cubicle. Even though they sat practically back to back, there was no warmth to be found in the meager space they shared. The braided boy even stretched once, his chair lightly knocking into the other's, and still there was no response. No comment about watching what he was doing, not even a grunt of annoyance. The constant clicking of keys sounded like a Morse code of defeated attempts at conversation. The papers bled together. Form after form, fill-in-the-blank, transfer here, post here, an endless sea of Times Standard Roman. It numbed his brain, the sun set slowly without either man's eyes marking it's progress.

Ten minutes before midnight Duo stood up. This had become his habit. When they'd first started, he had made a point in always walking with Heero. Chatting at him about their day, silly things that occurred to him. Even trying to get the stoic man to come with him to whatever afterwards, even though he was always rejected. Now the air between them was stifling, unbreathable. He had no intention of confining the messy haired brunet to his company any longer than work demanded. It was the only small courtesy he could give him now.

The braided boy made his way to his apartment building. The same building most of the single or young preventers lived at. Heero lived here too, though on a different floor. Duo tried not to think about that. His apartment was not what one would call decorated. There was a bed in the bedroom, a small table next to it. A couch in the livingroom, but no tv. The kitchen by far had the most in sheer number of objects, but it was what he needed to cook with. He wasn't good in the kitchen by any means, but he had no intention of starving. Slim hands hung his coat in the closet. He had never had any visitors. Duo been an orphan, and then a wandering soldier. He'd never really understood people's rampant need for stuff. All it meant was more things to carry, and more things to loose. For a while, he had toyed with the idea of getting a pet, but had quickly decided against it. The company had appeal, but the responsibility for another life was not something he wanted to handle.

Maybe, some how, if he ever figured out how to talk to Heero…. he could decorate the place a little. Invite a friend over. But for now all he could do was flop into his bed and wait for sleep to take him.

noheero

A dark cell.

The only light it ever saw came from an open door, which Heero was currently obstructing. Florescent promise pooled in a little circle ahead of his feet, not quite reaching the back of the room. He didn't need illumination to recognize the legs that were sprawled across the floor or the voice that echoed above them.

'Go right ahead and shoot me.'

Heero knew this moment. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do and that he wasn't going to do it. He knew and still, he stepped forward – towards his target's dare. Duo Maxwell became visible against the shadows. He didn't appear exactly as he was supposed to. He was without his catholic collar. And without the jodhpurs that had once inflated his slim thighs. He was sitting in the right position, with his hands miserably draped between his legs and his back pressed to the wall, but he was wearing blue jeans and a Preventer jacket.

'Go right ahead and shoot me.'

"I will. Just give me time."

"We're all outta that." Duo sat forward. His bangs fell into his eyes, veiling their competitive gleam. "You're a decisive guy. Make a decision."

His cuffed hands rose between them. Duo's lengthy fingers felt over the barrel of Heero's gun. They spidered up either side of it's shape to harass it's details.

"Stop it. We're not like that."

Heero didn't know what he was saying, only that he didn't like the profane motion of Duo's palms. They swept teasingly up his firearm before retreating back down it's barrel.

"You don't want this? Everyone is saying-"

"-I don't."

"I never pegged you for a liar, Heero."

"I'm not."

"Then come closer."

Against his better judgement, he obeyed. One, fatal step gave Duo enough range to feel all the way up the gun and over it's owner's wrist.

Warm fingers.

Heero could feel them where he shouldn't have been able do; sliding down his weapon. His metal. His shaft. Squeezing a little too near the trigger. "You need to stop." His animosity had weakened to a whisper. "We're not like that." Duo only rose to his knees. He was overeager and teetered a little too far to the left before righting himself. His braid fell over one shoulder. It's curvature was sleek and soft and beautiful.

He leaned forward while cradling the underside of Heero's barrel. His quirked lips always made him look like he had some kind of secret, but they gave away nothing upon parting. Except the sight of his tongue. Its praising tip rendered Heero silent. Hot breath fogged over the edge of his .45.

Duo closed in…

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

Heero's alarm blared to life. He sat up and breathed over it's call while trying to process reality. He hadn't asked for any sexual imagery or the physical response it had summoned. Sleep had just inflicted it on him, along with a million reminders he'd never wanted.

About the way Duo Maxwell grinned. About the way he walked and held his drinks. About the way his hair swayed and about the grit beneath his voice. Heero left his bed to wash away his thoughts under a dose of frigid water.

duoordie

The alarm sounded shrill in the relatively small confines of the bed, the lone occupant twitching awake with remembered pre-battle panic before groaning and turning the aggravating machine off. Early morning sun painted itself across walls lacking any other color. Duo readied himself for the day without any real enthusiasm for the actions. He was in and out of the shower before the water even had time to warm, eating a piece of toast with brain-dead energy while braiding his hair, pushing cold feet into beaten boots… he was out the door and moving towards work before he felt fully awake. Again he took the stairs, always took the stairs. Aside from a cockpit, he'd always been uncomfortable in confined spaces, and elevators definitely qualified.

The office seemed quieter for some reason, the feel of the place was odd, though Duo put it off to the fact that the most of the other workers had not arrived yet. There never seemed to be an end to work, so he arrived early and stayed late. Very rarely, the braided boy would allow himself the pleasure of going to a junk yard and taking something apart, but most of his time was spent in his uncomfortable cubicle. As he entered said cubicle, he paused for just a moment. Heero was there, of course. That was a given. The stoic boy's desk though, was what was off. Usually completely organized and neat, a tribute to parallel lines, this morning things were laying across each other. It was minor really, hardly noticeable unless you knew how uptight the other pilot was about those things…. and Duo knew. Heero was the kind of person who never had more than he needed, and everything always had a place. To see things even slightly off was a warning sign he didn't know how to interpret. Had something happened? Something gone wrong? Did he even have the right to ask…?

"Hey, still got a few minutes before I start…. you want anything from the vending machine?" It was a poor attempt, but the only thing he could think of. Back when they were in battle, it had been easy to find way to help out his fellow pilot. His not-quite-friend. Fly the shuttle, help with repairs, remind the fool even he had to sleep and eat some times…. now all he could do was try to keep his presence minimal.

noheero

"No."

Not a unique response, though it lacked it's usual intensity. Heero's voice was soft. He remained very still while surveying his disheveled work space. Today, the reports didn't make any sense. Print wouldn't stay put. It squiggled back and forth like dancing hieroglyphs – completely incomprehensible.

In an attempt to regain focus Heero had propped himself up like a troubled statue. His left palm supported his temple. He held the corner of a pretentious paper in the other, barely lifting it's edge from the desk. Pretending, but not succeeding to read it.

He only freed himself as Duo walked away. And only long enough to discretely witness the other's absence. Was this the same Duo Maxwell that had been in his dream? That had clamored to his knees and—? Would the Duo at the vending machines ever do something like that?

Their shift progressed as usual. And didn't. Duo would be haunted by unexplained scrutiny. His back would burn against a curious stare, but when he turned to confront it, he would only be met with the sight of his associate's back. Heero was rearranging papers or scrolling input tables.

Three pm came and went.

Eight pm slouched by.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

"No."

Not a unique response, though it lacked it's usual intensity. Heero's voice was soft. He remained very still while surveying his disheveled work space. Today, the reports didn't make any sense. Print wouldn't stay put. It squiggled back and forth like dancing hieroglyphs – completely incomprehensible.

In an attempt to regain focus Heero had propped himself up like a troubled statue. His left palm supported his temple. He held the corner of a pretentious paper in the other, barely lifting it's edge from the desk. Pretending, but not succeeding to read it.

He only freed himself as Duo walked away. And only long enough to discretely witness the other's absence. Was this the same Duo Maxwell that had been in his dream? That had clamored to his knees and—? Would the Duo at the vending machines ever do something like that?

Their shift progressed as usual. And didn't. Duo would be haunted by unexplained scrutiny. His back would burn against a curious stare, but when he turned to confront it, he would only be met with the sight of his associate's back. Heero was rearranging papers or scrolling input tables.

Three pm came and went.

Eight pm slouched by.

—

The expected response was not as curt as usual. Not as cold. Duo couldn't help but look at his partner for an extra moment, an eyebrow raised in obvious interest. Tiny signs that something was not right harassed his mind, but he lacked the key to crack 01′s code. A small shake of his head announced his departure towards the aforementioned vending machines. They weren't far, but the braided preventer walked there more for a moment alone to think, rather than being motivated by any real thirst. Something was up with Heero, that much was obvious. Thin fingers selected a juice, and wrapped around the cold can's exterior before making his way back to the cubicle. The aluminum cracked loudly, and he took a customarily loud sip. Still no response.

There was nothing to do but get to work at this point. Duo felt like he could search all day, but no matter how many clues he gathered as to his stoic partner's strange disposition he lacked any context to make sense of them. The day dragged, yet more and more paperwork. Not a single request for them to do any real work. A ghostly tingling sensation settled on his back, he couldn't get over the impression of someone looking at him, but every time he turned around his blue eyes failed to catch Heero's own in the act.

Lunch was skipped following an avalanche of improperly filled requests. He could swear even after he stopped typing he could still hear the click of keys echoing in his mind. Again, another note that seemed wrong with his usually more than efficient partner - Duo heard Heero mashing the backspace key more than once. Before today, he was pretty sure that key didn't even function as he could never once recall seeing it being used. The messy haired brunet always seemed to know exactly what to put where, answering any other employee's tedious questions without missing a beat in his own work.

Before long, regardless of how much he didn't want to admit it, the lanky young man's stomach began to growl and pester. Going home to yet another ham sandwich seemed even less appealing than normal. Again, he looked over his shoulder and found his cubicle mate's back unturned. Should he invite him to eat…? Surely the other male must be hungry too, going just as long without food. The question seemed inordinately heavy in his mouth, and struggled to move past chapped lips. "Hey…" The attempt to get Heero's attention trailed off into empty air.

noheero

Three months.

That's how long it had been since Duo had suggested an activity after work. It had been long enough for Heero to settle into the idea that he would never ask again; to forget that he'd ever asked at all. So, when an impending invitation tinted Maxwell's tone, it held no familiarity. Heero turned his face to listen.

Tip-Tap, Tip-Tap.

Loafers with someplace to be.

A coworker passed their cubical, effectively freezing the conversation. Heero and Duo calmly waited out their tread while staring at one another. In the past, they'd locked eyes while under gunfire, with their backs pressed to metal walls and sweat on their brows. Each boy had soaked in the appearance of his ally before looking down to reload or scanning for an escape route. It was a grounding tactic.

'Here we still are.'

—at Ten pm on a Friday night.

Duo faltered. Heero turned back to his computer. Their shift continued in spite of Yuy's impaired work-ethic and Maxwell's disruptive empathy. The office slowly grew empty after a final wave of loud goodbyes and printing sessions. Lights that weren't in use were clicked off, leaving large sections of the Preventer building in darkness. At 23:50, Duo stood from his chair. And Heero did the same.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

"No."

Not a unique response, though it lacked it's usual intensity. Heero's voice was soft. He remained very still while surveying his disheveled work space. Today, the reports didn't make any sense. Print wouldn't stay put. It squiggled back and forth like dancing hieroglyphs – completely incomprehensible.

In an attempt to regain focus Heero had propped himself up like a troubled statue. His left palm supported his temple. He held the corner of a pretentious paper in the other, barely lifting it's edge from the desk. Pretending, but not succeeding to read it.

He only freed himself as Duo walked away. And only long enough to discretely witness the other's absence. Was this the same Duo Maxwell that had been in his dream? That had clamored to his knees and—? Would the Duo at the vending machines ever do something like that?

Their shift progressed as usual. And didn't. Duo would be haunted by unexplained scrutiny. His back would burn against a curious stare, but when he turned to confront it, he would only be met with the sight of his associate's back. Heero was rearranging papers or scrolling input tables.

Three pm came and went.

Eight pm slouched by.

—

The expected response was not as curt as usual. Not as cold. Duo couldn't help but look at his partner for an extra moment, an eyebrow raised in obvious interest. Tiny signs that something was not right harassed his mind, but he lacked the key to crack 01′s code. A small shake of his head announced his departure towards the aforementioned vending machines. They weren't far, but the braided preventer walked there more for a moment alone to think, rather than being motivated by any real thirst. Something was up with Heero, that much was obvious. Thin fingers selected a juice, and wrapped around the cold can's exterior before making his way back to the cubicle. The aluminum cracked loudly, and he took a customarily loud sip. Still no response.

There was nothing to do but get to work at this point. Duo felt like he could search all day, but no matter how many clues he gathered as to his stoic partner's strange disposition he lacked any context to make sense of them. The day dragged, yet more and more paperwork. Not a single request for them to do any real work. A ghostly tingling sensation settled on his back, he couldn't get over the impression of someone looking at him, but every time he turned around his blue eyes failed to catch Heero's own in the act.

Lunch was skipped following an avalanche of improperly filled requests. He could swear even after he stopped typing he could still hear the click of keys echoing in his mind. Again, another note that seemed wrong with his usually more than efficient partner - Duo heard Heero mashing the backspace key more than once. Before today, he was pretty sure that key didn't even function as he could never once recall seeing it being used. The messy haired brunet always seemed to know exactly what to put where, answering any other employee's tedious questions without missing a beat in his own work.

Before long, regardless of how much he didn't want to admit it, the lanky young man's stomach began to growl and pester. Going home to yet another ham sandwich seemed even less appealing than normal. Again, he looked over his shoulder and found his cubicle mate's back unturned. Should he invite him to eat…? Surely the other male must be hungry too, going just as long without food. The question seemed inordinately heavy in his mouth, and struggled to move past chapped lips. "Hey…" The attempt to get Heero's attention trailed off into empty air.

noheero

Three months.

That's how long it had been since Duo had suggested an activity after work. It had been long enough for Heero to settle into the idea that he would never ask again; to forget that he'd ever asked at all. So, when an impending invitation tinted Maxwell's tone, it held no familiarity. Heero turned his face to listen.

Tip-Tap, Tip-Tap.

Loafers with someplace to be.

A coworker passed their cubical, effectively freezing the conversation. Heero and Duo calmly waited out their tread while staring at one another. In the past, they'd locked eyes while under gunfire, with their backs pressed to metal walls and sweat on their brows. Each boy had soaked in the appearance of his ally before looking down to reload or scanning for an escape route. It was a grounding tactic.

'Here we still are.'

—at Ten pm on a Friday night.

Duo faltered. Heero turned back to his computer. Their shift continued in spite of Yuy's impaired work-ethic and Maxwell's disruptive empathy. The office slowly grew empty after a final wave of loud goodbyes and printing sessions. Lights that weren't in use were clicked off, leaving large sections of the Preventer building in darkness. At 23:50, Duo stood from his chair. And Heero did the same.

duoordie

Footsteps interrupted Duo's attempt at talking. Even as the footsteps faded he was reminded how everyone in this office thought of him, of them. All the nasty words and vulgar imagery they summoned with completely uncaring tongues. Blue eyes stayed locked together, even as the evidence of other people's interference disappeared from earshot. Heero had always been intense, and they had held this kind of eye contact without flinching over the echoing vibrations of explosives…. this time seemed different though. The battle was not being waged against another group. The interplay of force instead took place between them and even as Duo turned away first he was not certain if there was a winner.

More paperwork.

As the office lights began to dim from disuse, the braided preventer couldn't stop his foot from tapping. At this point he felt like he was starving, his stomach making a backward trip towards his spine. Still the other occupant of the cubicle worked with unceasing efforts. Dark eyes watched the clock turned to ten before midnight, and he stood fully accepting that he wasn't going to succeed in talking to his partner any time soon… until Heero stood with him. Duo turned around quickly, surprise motivating his words just as much as hope. "Look, neither of us have eaten. I'm hungry. You have to be hungry." The lanky youth raised his hands in a mixture of a shrug and a sign of surrender. "Let's go get something to eat?" He couldn't stop the edge of worry that tinted his words, It had been a long time since he had even considered asking the other former pilot to join him in any activity, and for some reason there was this creeping sensation that if he didn't ask now he wouldn't get to again. So, he waited for an answer.

noheero

Heero nodded, but only after a moment of silence. To an onlooker, that moment would have appeared uncomfortable. Maybe, even hostile; just a blank stare over a span of seconds that should have held a 'yes!'

It was nothing so challenging, of course. Just a quiet attempt to settle. He'd been prepared to go the moment he'd moved from his desk. He had announced, without words, a desire to leave together by following Duo's lead.

They strolled through the dark halls, side by side. Heero glanced at the wall to their right where their shadows had assembled a couple. They'd been cast by the opposing window and seemed determined to meld into a singular, black entity. Even though the end result would be a clumsy, bobbing mess.

The halls of their facility had kept them cramped. Once they entered the parking, Heero drew back. He followed as he had in the beginning, when their partnership had still been green - too far away to touch, too close not to notice. Duo's braid became his focal point. He watched it swing with all the regularity of a pendulum.

Swish

Swish

Swish

"Where are we going."

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

"No."

Not a unique response, though it lacked it's usual intensity. Heero's voice was soft. He remained very still while surveying his disheveled work space. Today, the reports didn't make any sense. Print wouldn't stay put. It squiggled back and forth like dancing hieroglyphs – completely incomprehensible.

In an attempt to regain focus Heero had propped himself up like a troubled statue. His left palm supported his temple. He held the corner of a pretentious paper in the other, barely lifting it's edge from the desk. Pretending, but not succeeding to read it.

He only freed himself as Duo walked away. And only long enough to discretely witness the other's absence. Was this the same Duo Maxwell that had been in his dream? That had clamored to his knees and—? Would the Duo at the vending machines ever do something like that?

Their shift progressed as usual. And didn't. Duo would be haunted by unexplained scrutiny. His back would burn against a curious stare, but when he turned to confront it, he would only be met with the sight of his associate's back. Heero was rearranging papers or scrolling input tables.

Three pm came and went.

Eight pm slouched by.

—

The expected response was not as curt as usual. Not as cold. Duo couldn't help but look at his partner for an extra moment, an eyebrow raised in obvious interest. Tiny signs that something was not right harassed his mind, but he lacked the key to crack 01′s code. A small shake of his head announced his departure towards the aforementioned vending machines. They weren't far, but the braided preventer walked there more for a moment alone to think, rather than being motivated by any real thirst. Something was up with Heero, that much was obvious. Thin fingers selected a juice, and wrapped around the cold can's exterior before making his way back to the cubicle. The aluminum cracked loudly, and he took a customarily loud sip. Still no response.

There was nothing to do but get to work at this point. Duo felt like he could search all day, but no matter how many clues he gathered as to his stoic partner's strange disposition he lacked any context to make sense of them. The day dragged, yet more and more paperwork. Not a single request for them to do any real work. A ghostly tingling sensation settled on his back, he couldn't get over the impression of someone looking at him, but every time he turned around his blue eyes failed to catch Heero's own in the act.

Lunch was skipped following an avalanche of improperly filled requests. He could swear even after he stopped typing he could still hear the click of keys echoing in his mind. Again, another note that seemed wrong with his usually more than efficient partner - Duo heard Heero mashing the backspace key more than once. Before today, he was pretty sure that key didn't even function as he could never once recall seeing it being used. The messy haired brunet always seemed to know exactly what to put where, answering any other employee's tedious questions without missing a beat in his own work.

Before long, regardless of how much he didn't want to admit it, the lanky young man's stomach began to growl and pester. Going home to yet another ham sandwich seemed even less appealing than normal. Again, he looked over his shoulder and found his cubicle mate's back unturned. Should he invite him to eat…? Surely the other male must be hungry too, going just as long without food. The question seemed inordinately heavy in his mouth, and struggled to move past chapped lips. "Hey…" The attempt to get Heero's attention trailed off into empty air.

noheero

Three months.

That's how long it had been since Duo had suggested an activity after work. It had been long enough for Heero to settle into the idea that he would never ask again; to forget that he'd ever asked at all. So, when an impending invitation tinted Maxwell's tone, it held no familiarity. Heero turned his face to listen.

Tip-Tap, Tip-Tap.

Loafers with someplace to be.

A coworker passed their cubical, effectively freezing the conversation. Heero and Duo calmly waited out their tread while staring at one another. In the past, they'd locked eyes while under gunfire, with their backs pressed to metal walls and sweat on their brows. Each boy had soaked in the appearance of his ally before looking down to reload or scanning for an escape route. It was a grounding tactic.

'Here we still are.'

—at Ten pm on a Friday night.

Duo faltered. Heero turned back to his computer. Their shift continued in spite of Yuy's impaired work-ethic and Maxwell's disruptive empathy. The office slowly grew empty after a final wave of loud goodbyes and printing sessions. Lights that weren't in use were clicked off, leaving large sections of the Preventer building in darkness. At 23:50, Duo stood from his chair. And Heero did the same.

duoordie

Footsteps interrupted Duo's attempt at talking. Even as the footsteps faded he was reminded how everyone in this office thought of him, of them. All the nasty words and vulgar imagery they summoned with completely uncaring tongues. Blue eyes stayed locked together, even as the evidence of other people's interference disappeared from earshot. Heero had always been intense, and they had held this kind of eye contact without flinching over the echoing vibrations of explosives…. this time seemed different though. The battle was not being waged against another group. The interplay of force instead took place between them and even as Duo turned away first he was not certain if there was a winner.

More paperwork.

As the office lights began to dim from disuse, the braided preventer couldn't stop his foot from tapping. At this point he felt like he was starving, his stomach making a backward trip towards his spine. Still the other occupant of the cubicle worked with unceasing efforts. Dark eyes watched the clock turned to ten before midnight, and he stood fully accepting that he wasn't going to succeed in talking to his partner any time soon… until Heero stood with him. Duo turned around quickly, surprise motivating his words just as much as hope. "Look, neither of us have eaten. I'm hungry. You have to be hungry." The lanky youth raised his hands in a mixture of a shrug and a sign of surrender. "Let's go get something to eat?" He couldn't stop the edge of worry that tinted his words, It had been a long time since he had even considered asking the other former pilot to join him in any activity, and for some reason there was this creeping sensation that if he didn't ask now he wouldn't get to again. So, he waited for an answer.

noheero

Heero nodded, but only after a moment of silence. To an onlooker, that moment would have appeared uncomfortable. Maybe, even hostile; just a blank stare over a span of seconds that should have held a 'yes!'

It was nothing so challenging, of course. Just a quiet attempt to settle. He'd been prepared to go the moment he'd moved from his desk. He had announced, without words, a desire to leave together by following Duo's lead.

They strolled through the dark halls, side by side. Heero glanced at the wall to their right where their shadows had assembled a couple. They'd been cast by the opposing window and seemed determined to meld into a singular, black entity. Even though the end result would be a clumsy, bobbing mess.

The halls of their facility had kept them cramped. Once they entered the parking, Heero drew back. He followed as he had in the beginning, when their partnership had still been green - too far away to touch, too close not to notice. Duo's braid became his focal point. He watched it swing with all the regularity of a pendulum.

Swish

Swish

Swish

"Where are we going."

duoordie

That single moment waiting for an answer seemed to contradict the laws of time itself. It stretched on and on while Duo looked at unrevealing blue eyes. The lack of an instant negative response gave him hope, too much hope. An emotion more fragile than glass filled his chest and a crescendo of glee burst through his veins at that small but accepting nod he received. A disbelieving smile stretched lips that had become too used to frowning in recent times. "Okay, then!" The odd statement was followed by a light laugh, before Duo turned to finally leave the office with company he again hoped would be enjoyable. This was farther than he had ever gotten. This was new. This could be great.

The walk out of the office was silent accept for the sounds of their passage, linoleum tiles echoing their footfalls and streaked windows reflecting back their faces like real world references in opposite expressions. The braided youth snuck glances at his partner in the glass, Heero's face remained in it's usual neutral configuration but he though maybe he didn't look quite so severe as was common. They took the stairs.

Outside the air was cool, and a pleasant breeze moved between the structures. A slight smell to the air hinted that maybe there would be rain… but not yet. Duo turned as his partner spoke. "I was gonna ask, it's pretty late so we could always hit a bar. Or there is a 24 hour breakfast place I know. In the mood for anything?" His tone was more chipper than he intended, his lithe body could only hold so much excitement before it spilled out.

noheero

"-A bar?" That hadn't even occurred to him. His alcohol consumption had been minimal -mostly celebratory. Mostly obligatory. Duo had suggested it comfortably enough to hint that he'd danced several times with inebriation. He walked backwards for a few, playful steps while awaiting an answer. 02 always looked like he was going to trip himself up when he did things like that…but he never did.

"Breakfast is fine." Anything was fine, except Chinese, which would have been the only thing Heero could have suggested: Ming's 24 hour delivery. Duo nodded amicably and turned back to lead the way. His follower would solemnly study their route. It was the first time he'd bothered to scope out his surroundings since being stationed on Earth.

"Didn't know there was a breakfast place. I don't know the area. I haven't walked it." He confessed as their steps fell in time, "I think I was tired after enlisting. There was a lot…" He trailed off, but they'd both been through the 'A Lot' - the banquets, the interviews, the peace conferences. And then, there was the agency itself. The Preventer Organization hadn't just come into being. It had been built. It was still being built via blood, sweat and keystrokes.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

"No."

Not a unique response, though it lacked it's usual intensity. Heero's voice was soft. He remained very still while surveying his disheveled work space. Today, the reports didn't make any sense. Print wouldn't stay put. It squiggled back and forth like dancing hieroglyphs – completely incomprehensible.

In an attempt to regain focus Heero had propped himself up like a troubled statue. His left palm supported his temple. He held the corner of a pretentious paper in the other, barely lifting it's edge from the desk. Pretending, but not succeeding to read it.

He only freed himself as Duo walked away. And only long enough to discretely witness the other's absence. Was this the same Duo Maxwell that had been in his dream? That had clamored to his knees and—? Would the Duo at the vending machines ever do something like that?

Their shift progressed as usual. And didn't. Duo would be haunted by unexplained scrutiny. His back would burn against a curious stare, but when he turned to confront it, he would only be met with the sight of his associate's back. Heero was rearranging papers or scrolling input tables.

Three pm came and went.

Eight pm slouched by.

—

The expected response was not as curt as usual. Not as cold. Duo couldn't help but look at his partner for an extra moment, an eyebrow raised in obvious interest. Tiny signs that something was not right harassed his mind, but he lacked the key to crack 01′s code. A small shake of his head announced his departure towards the aforementioned vending machines. They weren't far, but the braided preventer walked there more for a moment alone to think, rather than being motivated by any real thirst. Something was up with Heero, that much was obvious. Thin fingers selected a juice, and wrapped around the cold can's exterior before making his way back to the cubicle. The aluminum cracked loudly, and he took a customarily loud sip. Still no response.

There was nothing to do but get to work at this point. Duo felt like he could search all day, but no matter how many clues he gathered as to his stoic partner's strange disposition he lacked any context to make sense of them. The day dragged, yet more and more paperwork. Not a single request for them to do any real work. A ghostly tingling sensation settled on his back, he couldn't get over the impression of someone looking at him, but every time he turned around his blue eyes failed to catch Heero's own in the act.

Lunch was skipped following an avalanche of improperly filled requests. He could swear even after he stopped typing he could still hear the click of keys echoing in his mind. Again, another note that seemed wrong with his usually more than efficient partner - Duo heard Heero mashing the backspace key more than once. Before today, he was pretty sure that key didn't even function as he could never once recall seeing it being used. The messy haired brunet always seemed to know exactly what to put where, answering any other employee's tedious questions without missing a beat in his own work.

Before long, regardless of how much he didn't want to admit it, the lanky young man's stomach began to growl and pester. Going home to yet another ham sandwich seemed even less appealing than normal. Again, he looked over his shoulder and found his cubicle mate's back unturned. Should he invite him to eat…? Surely the other male must be hungry too, going just as long without food. The question seemed inordinately heavy in his mouth, and struggled to move past chapped lips. "Hey…" The attempt to get Heero's attention trailed off into empty air.

noheero

Three months.

That's how long it had been since Duo had suggested an activity after work. It had been long enough for Heero to settle into the idea that he would never ask again; to forget that he'd ever asked at all. So, when an impending invitation tinted Maxwell's tone, it held no familiarity. Heero turned his face to listen.

Tip-Tap, Tip-Tap.

Loafers with someplace to be.

A coworker passed their cubical, effectively freezing the conversation. Heero and Duo calmly waited out their tread while staring at one another. In the past, they'd locked eyes while under gunfire, with their backs pressed to metal walls and sweat on their brows. Each boy had soaked in the appearance of his ally before looking down to reload or scanning for an escape route. It was a grounding tactic.

'Here we still are.'

—at Ten pm on a Friday night.

Duo faltered. Heero turned back to his computer. Their shift continued in spite of Yuy's impaired work-ethic and Maxwell's disruptive empathy. The office slowly grew empty after a final wave of loud goodbyes and printing sessions. Lights that weren't in use were clicked off, leaving large sections of the Preventer building in darkness. At 23:50, Duo stood from his chair. And Heero did the same.

duoordie

Footsteps interrupted Duo's attempt at talking. Even as the footsteps faded he was reminded how everyone in this office thought of him, of them. All the nasty words and vulgar imagery they summoned with completely uncaring tongues. Blue eyes stayed locked together, even as the evidence of other people's interference disappeared from earshot. Heero had always been intense, and they had held this kind of eye contact without flinching over the echoing vibrations of explosives…. this time seemed different though. The battle was not being waged against another group. The interplay of force instead took place between them and even as Duo turned away first he was not certain if there was a winner.

More paperwork.

As the office lights began to dim from disuse, the braided preventer couldn't stop his foot from tapping. At this point he felt like he was starving, his stomach making a backward trip towards his spine. Still the other occupant of the cubicle worked with unceasing efforts. Dark eyes watched the clock turned to ten before midnight, and he stood fully accepting that he wasn't going to succeed in talking to his partner any time soon… until Heero stood with him. Duo turned around quickly, surprise motivating his words just as much as hope. "Look, neither of us have eaten. I'm hungry. You have to be hungry." The lanky youth raised his hands in a mixture of a shrug and a sign of surrender. "Let's go get something to eat?" He couldn't stop the edge of worry that tinted his words, It had been a long time since he had even considered asking the other former pilot to join him in any activity, and for some reason there was this creeping sensation that if he didn't ask now he wouldn't get to again. So, he waited for an answer.

noheero

Heero nodded, but only after a moment of silence. To an onlooker, that moment would have appeared uncomfortable. Maybe, even hostile; just a blank stare over a span of seconds that should have held a 'yes!'

It was nothing so challenging, of course. Just a quiet attempt to settle. He'd been prepared to go the moment he'd moved from his desk. He had announced, without words, a desire to leave together by following Duo's lead.

They strolled through the dark halls, side by side. Heero glanced at the wall to their right where their shadows had assembled a couple. They'd been cast by the opposing window and seemed determined to meld into a singular, black entity. Even though the end result would be a clumsy, bobbing mess.

The halls of their facility had kept them cramped. Once they entered the parking, Heero drew back. He followed as he had in the beginning, when their partnership had still been green - too far away to touch, too close not to notice. Duo's braid became his focal point. He watched it swing with all the regularity of a pendulum.

Swish

Swish

Swish

"Where are we going."

duoordie

That single moment waiting for an answer seemed to contradict the laws of time itself. It stretched on and on while Duo looked at unrevealing blue eyes. The lack of an instant negative response gave him hope, too much hope. An emotion more fragile than glass filled his chest and a crescendo of glee burst through his veins at that small but accepting nod he received. A disbelieving smile stretched lips that had become too used to frowning in recent times. "Okay, then!" The odd statement was followed by a light laugh, before Duo turned to finally leave the office with company he again hoped would be enjoyable. This was farther than he had ever gotten. This was new. This could be great.

The walk out of the office was silent accept for the sounds of their passage, linoleum tiles echoing their footfalls and streaked windows reflecting back their faces like real world references in opposite expressions. The braided youth snuck glances at his partner in the glass, Heero's face remained in it's usual neutral configuration but he though maybe he didn't look quite so severe as was common. They took the stairs.

Outside the air was cool, and a pleasant breeze moved between the structures. A slight smell to the air hinted that maybe there would be rain… but not yet. Duo turned as his partner spoke. "I was gonna ask, it's pretty late so we could always hit a bar. Or there is a 24 hour breakfast place I know. In the mood for anything?" His tone was more chipper than he intended, his lithe body could only hold so much excitement before it spilled out.

noheero

"-A bar?" That hadn't even occurred to him. His alcohol consumption had been minimal -mostly celebratory. Mostly obligatory. Duo had suggested it comfortably enough to hint that he'd danced several times with inebriation. He walked backwards for a few, playful steps while awaiting an answer. 02 always looked like he was going to trip himself up when he did things like that…but he never did.

"Breakfast is fine." Anything was fine, except Chinese, which would have been the only thing Heero could have suggested: Ming's 24 hour delivery. Duo nodded amicably and turned back to lead the way. His follower would solemnly study their route. It was the first time he'd bothered to scope out his surroundings since being stationed on Earth.

"Didn't know there was a breakfast place. I don't know the area. I haven't walked it." He confessed as their steps fell in time, "I think I was tired after enlisting. There was a lot…" He trailed off, but they'd both been through the 'A Lot' - the banquets, the interviews, the peace conferences. And then, there was the agency itself. The Preventer Organization hadn't just come into being. It had been built. It was still being built via blood, sweat and keystrokes.

duoordie

"It's fine, just follow me." Duo's voice was full of confidence. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Heero hadn't been the type to explore. No one had assigned him to. There was a slight skip to the braided preventer's steps as he turned back around to face forward before he settled back into his normal cadence. It felt good to have Heero near him, there was a sense of safety when ever they were like this. Sure, most times now it was on their rare field missions where they didn't have to worry about being seen… but without a doubt he knew the other pilot had his back. He took a deep lung full of cool night air before proceeding.

The scrapper lead the way, and though he tried to walk there using normal pathways instinct lead him down a few back alleys. Short cuts that he had scoped out early. Over a fence here, behind a beaten building and they arrived with usual travel time cut in half. It was a relatively small restaurant, the lights were dim through tinted windows but as it was surrounded by dark structures it shined. It wasn't a fancy place by any means, but it was a step above the usual sort of diner you would run into. Duo was never quite certain why the place was 24 hours, but he was grateful. There was only so many nights he could handle greasy pub food, no matter how good it tasted.

Duo held the door open for his stern companion, a smile still bending his lips. He was glad to have Heero's company. They hadn't shared a meal together out of desire for each other's company in the long time, and he had missed the experience. His fellow preventer wasn't the greatest conversationalist by any means, but the lithe male brought a sense of calm with him that Duo sorely lacked. "Grab any free table, they'll see us."

noheero

Duo always got the door. Maybe because he'd been in the company of more women. Maybe because Heero had a tendency to drop it on his companions. 01 had never grasped the concept of 'common' courtesy. If anything, it through him off. To spite years of Duo's-door-opening-routine, Heero still paused for an instant before accepting the gesture. He never went far after accommodating; just a step ahead of the threshold to wait in earnest.

Tonight, Maxwell would find himself shoulder-to-shoulder with his copilot after entering the restaurant. It had been a while. Heero didn't corral his comrade in the streets. He hadn't done it during combat or on campus, but when the war had come to a close, Heero had closed in. He'd been as sticky as glue during his transition from soldier to civilian - because Duo mixed well with the world. He knew how to navigate a 'normal' life.

Initially, Yuy had adhered to 02 in the office as well, which had contributed directly to their damnation. His faith had lead to an assigned partnership and an assumed marriage. That fact; however, seemed forgotten as they slid into their booth tonight. Heero opted to remain hip-to-hip while surveying the menu. Duo began to offer up a conversation that was unimportant, but not unpleasant. Not much had changed, outside of their cubicals. Heero listened and nodded occasionally. He mumbled 'Same.' as the waitress wrote down Duo's order.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

"No."

Not a unique response, though it lacked it's usual intensity. Heero's voice was soft. He remained very still while surveying his disheveled work space. Today, the reports didn't make any sense. Print wouldn't stay put. It squiggled back and forth like dancing hieroglyphs – completely incomprehensible.

In an attempt to regain focus Heero had propped himself up like a troubled statue. His left palm supported his temple. He held the corner of a pretentious paper in the other, barely lifting it's edge from the desk. Pretending, but not succeeding to read it.

He only freed himself as Duo walked away. And only long enough to discretely witness the other's absence. Was this the same Duo Maxwell that had been in his dream? That had clamored to his knees and—? Would the Duo at the vending machines ever do something like that?

Their shift progressed as usual. And didn't. Duo would be haunted by unexplained scrutiny. His back would burn against a curious stare, but when he turned to confront it, he would only be met with the sight of his associate's back. Heero was rearranging papers or scrolling input tables.

Three pm came and went.

Eight pm slouched by.

—

The expected response was not as curt as usual. Not as cold. Duo couldn't help but look at his partner for an extra moment, an eyebrow raised in obvious interest. Tiny signs that something was not right harassed his mind, but he lacked the key to crack 01′s code. A small shake of his head announced his departure towards the aforementioned vending machines. They weren't far, but the braided preventer walked there more for a moment alone to think, rather than being motivated by any real thirst. Something was up with Heero, that much was obvious. Thin fingers selected a juice, and wrapped around the cold can's exterior before making his way back to the cubicle. The aluminum cracked loudly, and he took a customarily loud sip. Still no response.

There was nothing to do but get to work at this point. Duo felt like he could search all day, but no matter how many clues he gathered as to his stoic partner's strange disposition he lacked any context to make sense of them. The day dragged, yet more and more paperwork. Not a single request for them to do any real work. A ghostly tingling sensation settled on his back, he couldn't get over the impression of someone looking at him, but every time he turned around his blue eyes failed to catch Heero's own in the act.

Lunch was skipped following an avalanche of improperly filled requests. He could swear even after he stopped typing he could still hear the click of keys echoing in his mind. Again, another note that seemed wrong with his usually more than efficient partner - Duo heard Heero mashing the backspace key more than once. Before today, he was pretty sure that key didn't even function as he could never once recall seeing it being used. The messy haired brunet always seemed to know exactly what to put where, answering any other employee's tedious questions without missing a beat in his own work.

Before long, regardless of how much he didn't want to admit it, the lanky young man's stomach began to growl and pester. Going home to yet another ham sandwich seemed even less appealing than normal. Again, he looked over his shoulder and found his cubicle mate's back unturned. Should he invite him to eat…? Surely the other male must be hungry too, going just as long without food. The question seemed inordinately heavy in his mouth, and struggled to move past chapped lips. "Hey…" The attempt to get Heero's attention trailed off into empty air.

noheero

Three months.

That's how long it had been since Duo had suggested an activity after work. It had been long enough for Heero to settle into the idea that he would never ask again; to forget that he'd ever asked at all. So, when an impending invitation tinted Maxwell's tone, it held no familiarity. Heero turned his face to listen.

Tip-Tap, Tip-Tap.

Loafers with someplace to be.

A coworker passed their cubical, effectively freezing the conversation. Heero and Duo calmly waited out their tread while staring at one another. In the past, they'd locked eyes while under gunfire, with their backs pressed to metal walls and sweat on their brows. Each boy had soaked in the appearance of his ally before looking down to reload or scanning for an escape route. It was a grounding tactic.

'Here we still are.'

—at Ten pm on a Friday night.

Duo faltered. Heero turned back to his computer. Their shift continued in spite of Yuy's impaired work-ethic and Maxwell's disruptive empathy. The office slowly grew empty after a final wave of loud goodbyes and printing sessions. Lights that weren't in use were clicked off, leaving large sections of the Preventer building in darkness. At 23:50, Duo stood from his chair. And Heero did the same.

duoordie

Footsteps interrupted Duo's attempt at talking. Even as the footsteps faded he was reminded how everyone in this office thought of him, of them. All the nasty words and vulgar imagery they summoned with completely uncaring tongues. Blue eyes stayed locked together, even as the evidence of other people's interference disappeared from earshot. Heero had always been intense, and they had held this kind of eye contact without flinching over the echoing vibrations of explosives…. this time seemed different though. The battle was not being waged against another group. The interplay of force instead took place between them and even as Duo turned away first he was not certain if there was a winner.

More paperwork.

As the office lights began to dim from disuse, the braided preventer couldn't stop his foot from tapping. At this point he felt like he was starving, his stomach making a backward trip towards his spine. Still the other occupant of the cubicle worked with unceasing efforts. Dark eyes watched the clock turned to ten before midnight, and he stood fully accepting that he wasn't going to succeed in talking to his partner any time soon… until Heero stood with him. Duo turned around quickly, surprise motivating his words just as much as hope. "Look, neither of us have eaten. I'm hungry. You have to be hungry." The lanky youth raised his hands in a mixture of a shrug and a sign of surrender. "Let's go get something to eat?" He couldn't stop the edge of worry that tinted his words, It had been a long time since he had even considered asking the other former pilot to join him in any activity, and for some reason there was this creeping sensation that if he didn't ask now he wouldn't get to again. So, he waited for an answer.

noheero

Heero nodded, but only after a moment of silence. To an onlooker, that moment would have appeared uncomfortable. Maybe, even hostile; just a blank stare over a span of seconds that should have held a 'yes!'

It was nothing so challenging, of course. Just a quiet attempt to settle. He'd been prepared to go the moment he'd moved from his desk. He had announced, without words, a desire to leave together by following Duo's lead.

They strolled through the dark halls, side by side. Heero glanced at the wall to their right where their shadows had assembled a couple. They'd been cast by the opposing window and seemed determined to meld into a singular, black entity. Even though the end result would be a clumsy, bobbing mess.

The halls of their facility had kept them cramped. Once they entered the parking, Heero drew back. He followed as he had in the beginning, when their partnership had still been green - too far away to touch, too close not to notice. Duo's braid became his focal point. He watched it swing with all the regularity of a pendulum.

Swish

Swish

Swish

"Where are we going."

duoordie

That single moment waiting for an answer seemed to contradict the laws of time itself. It stretched on and on while Duo looked at unrevealing blue eyes. The lack of an instant negative response gave him hope, too much hope. An emotion more fragile than glass filled his chest and a crescendo of glee burst through his veins at that small but accepting nod he received. A disbelieving smile stretched lips that had become too used to frowning in recent times. "Okay, then!" The odd statement was followed by a light laugh, before Duo turned to finally leave the office with company he again hoped would be enjoyable. This was farther than he had ever gotten. This was new. This could be great.

The walk out of the office was silent accept for the sounds of their passage, linoleum tiles echoing their footfalls and streaked windows reflecting back their faces like real world references in opposite expressions. The braided youth snuck glances at his partner in the glass, Heero's face remained in it's usual neutral configuration but he though maybe he didn't look quite so severe as was common. They took the stairs.

Outside the air was cool, and a pleasant breeze moved between the structures. A slight smell to the air hinted that maybe there would be rain… but not yet. Duo turned as his partner spoke. "I was gonna ask, it's pretty late so we could always hit a bar. Or there is a 24 hour breakfast place I know. In the mood for anything?" His tone was more chipper than he intended, his lithe body could only hold so much excitement before it spilled out.

noheero

"-A bar?" That hadn't even occurred to him. His alcohol consumption had been minimal -mostly celebratory. Mostly obligatory. Duo had suggested it comfortably enough to hint that he'd danced several times with inebriation. He walked backwards for a few, playful steps while awaiting an answer. 02 always looked like he was going to trip himself up when he did things like that…but he never did.

"Breakfast is fine." Anything was fine, except Chinese, which would have been the only thing Heero could have suggested: Ming's 24 hour delivery. Duo nodded amicably and turned back to lead the way. His follower would solemnly study their route. It was the first time he'd bothered to scope out his surroundings since being stationed on Earth.

"Didn't know there was a breakfast place. I don't know the area. I haven't walked it." He confessed as their steps fell in time, "I think I was tired after enlisting. There was a lot…" He trailed off, but they'd both been through the 'A Lot' - the banquets, the interviews, the peace conferences. And then, there was the agency itself. The Preventer Organization hadn't just come into being. It had been built. It was still being built via blood, sweat and keystrokes.

duoordie

"It's fine, just follow me." Duo's voice was full of confidence. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Heero hadn't been the type to explore. No one had assigned him to. There was a slight skip to the braided preventer's steps as he turned back around to face forward before he settled back into his normal cadence. It felt good to have Heero near him, there was a sense of safety when ever they were like this. Sure, most times now it was on their rare field missions where they didn't have to worry about being seen… but without a doubt he knew the other pilot had his back. He took a deep lung full of cool night air before proceeding.

The scrapper lead the way, and though he tried to walk there using normal pathways instinct lead him down a few back alleys. Short cuts that he had scoped out early. Over a fence here, behind a beaten building and they arrived with usual travel time cut in half. It was a relatively small restaurant, the lights were dim through tinted windows but as it was surrounded by dark structures it shined. It wasn't a fancy place by any means, but it was a step above the usual sort of diner you would run into. Duo was never quite certain why the place was 24 hours, but he was grateful. There was only so many nights he could handle greasy pub food, no matter how good it tasted.

Duo held the door open for his stern companion, a smile still bending his lips. He was glad to have Heero's company. They hadn't shared a meal together out of desire for each other's company in the long time, and he had missed the experience. His fellow preventer wasn't the greatest conversationalist by any means, but the lithe male brought a sense of calm with him that Duo sorely lacked. "Grab any free table, they'll see us."

noheero

Duo always got the door. Maybe because he'd been in the company of more women. Maybe because Heero had a tendency to drop it on his companions. 01 had never grasped the concept of 'common' courtesy. If anything, it through him off. To spite years of Duo's-door-opening-routine, Heero still paused for an instant before accepting the gesture. He never went far after accommodating; just a step ahead of the threshold to wait in earnest.

Tonight, Maxwell would find himself shoulder-to-shoulder with his copilot after entering the restaurant. It had been a while. Heero didn't corral his comrade in the streets. He hadn't done it during combat or on campus, but when the war had come to a close, Heero had closed in. He'd been as sticky as glue during his transition from soldier to civilian - because Duo mixed well with the world. He knew how to navigate a 'normal' life.

Initially, Yuy had adhered to 02 in the office as well, which had contributed directly to their damnation. His faith had lead to an assigned partnership and an assumed marriage. That fact; however, seemed forgotten as they slid into their booth tonight. Heero opted to remain hip-to-hip while surveying the menu. Duo began to offer up a conversation that was unimportant, but not unpleasant. Not much had changed, outside of their cubicals. Heero listened and nodded occasionally. He mumbled 'Same.' as the waitress wrote down Duo's order.

duoordie

The inside of the restaurant was a bit on the dark wide. The light fixtures hung low to the tables, and most of the place was decorated with browns and deep greens. It was a place of comfort for those with no schedule. A few other patrons inhabited the space, but it remained quiet. The booth's seats were made of faux brown leather, treated to be soft but still easy to clean. The tables looked like wood. Everyone knew it was just as fake as the leather, but it made the place more inviting regardless.

Even though the braided youth had told his partner to pick as seat, he was not surprised when he ended up leading the way back to a corner booth. Duo did not however expect the other male to slide in next to him, choosing to occupy the same seat rather then sitting across from him. He knew it was probably his imagination, but the side of his body that was closer to Heero seemed to feel warmer. Almost tingling. Perhaps this was the stern youths was of saying he missed this too? Yuy had always been better at doing rather than saying. Again there was a feeling of hope that maybe they could get to know each other again.

Duo began talking about his last junking run, it had happened months ago but he spoke about it like it was more recent. He had found a beautiful last century radio and taken it home. It had been a difficult rebuild, so much of it had begun to crumble that he ended up remaking a lot of the parts himself. He talked about how it was funny that it was still called a 'radio' even though radio waves had stopped being used a few centuries ago. People stuck on to things like that, you could still hear people saying 'hang up the phone' even though it was no longer an accurate description. The chatty boy hardly stopped for breath to order over-easy eggs, hashbrowns and sausage. His head tiled just a little at his companions muttered 'same'. Duo had seen that a lot back when they had been properly close… he always got the idea that Heero didn't know what he wanted, didn't understand all this interaction, and that instead Duo was used as a control group for social situations. He hoped he was a good example.

Heero never interrupted him, only adding a few syllables here and there. Usually that sort of situation would make Duo feel like he was being annoying, but that sensation never occurred when he spoke with the messy haired brunet. Heero was easy to talk to, his blue eyes remaining attentive even as his partner essentially rambled. The food arrived quickly.

noheero

"-You're a radio."

The comment slipped out while Duo was caught between breaths. Heero watched as it was absorbed, but his stare was void of intent. A radio? Had that been a compliment or an insult? Maybe, a little of both. Hot plates of breakfast food were lowered in front of them. Their heavy clink against the table pulled Heero's focus to hash browns, which he devoured right away. 01 finished each serving in it's entirety before moving on to the next. He had been hungry enough to forgo ketchup until Duo vigorously began shaking it over his own eggs.

"Here. Me too."

Eating was an activity that placed the world on pause. A few words escaped here and there, but until their plates were near empty, both men settled into the task at hand. They ate as the world had taught them to - swiftly, greedily, efficiently. Their manners had been polished by age, but beneath them linted rabid anxiety. They would always be hungry. They would always be a pair of neglected youths. Heero would be the first to slow down. After several swallows of water.

"The guy above me has a player. He blasts his shitty music at weird hours." Heero kept his eyes on his water, overseeing melting cubes of ice. He tilted the cup slightly. They sloshed against one another like shards of shimmering glass. "I'm pretty sure he dances to it, because there's a lot of thudding back and forth when it's on. I can tell by the thumps, that he has no sense of rhythm." Heero finished his anecdote dully. In the end, he didn't seem connected to it. The profanity held no bite. The guy upstairs was of no consequence. This was just how people commented on life.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

"No."

Not a unique response, though it lacked it's usual intensity. Heero's voice was soft. He remained very still while surveying his disheveled work space. Today, the reports didn't make any sense. Print wouldn't stay put. It squiggled back and forth like dancing hieroglyphs – completely incomprehensible.

In an attempt to regain focus Heero had propped himself up like a troubled statue. His left palm supported his temple. He held the corner of a pretentious paper in the other, barely lifting it's edge from the desk. Pretending, but not succeeding to read it.

He only freed himself as Duo walked away. And only long enough to discretely witness the other's absence. Was this the same Duo Maxwell that had been in his dream? That had clamored to his knees and—? Would the Duo at the vending machines ever do something like that?

Their shift progressed as usual. And didn't. Duo would be haunted by unexplained scrutiny. His back would burn against a curious stare, but when he turned to confront it, he would only be met with the sight of his associate's back. Heero was rearranging papers or scrolling input tables.

Three pm came and went.

Eight pm slouched by.

—

The expected response was not as curt as usual. Not as cold. Duo couldn't help but look at his partner for an extra moment, an eyebrow raised in obvious interest. Tiny signs that something was not right harassed his mind, but he lacked the key to crack 01′s code. A small shake of his head announced his departure towards the aforementioned vending machines. They weren't far, but the braided preventer walked there more for a moment alone to think, rather than being motivated by any real thirst. Something was up with Heero, that much was obvious. Thin fingers selected a juice, and wrapped around the cold can's exterior before making his way back to the cubicle. The aluminum cracked loudly, and he took a customarily loud sip. Still no response.

There was nothing to do but get to work at this point. Duo felt like he could search all day, but no matter how many clues he gathered as to his stoic partner's strange disposition he lacked any context to make sense of them. The day dragged, yet more and more paperwork. Not a single request for them to do any real work. A ghostly tingling sensation settled on his back, he couldn't get over the impression of someone looking at him, but every time he turned around his blue eyes failed to catch Heero's own in the act.

Lunch was skipped following an avalanche of improperly filled requests. He could swear even after he stopped typing he could still hear the click of keys echoing in his mind. Again, another note that seemed wrong with his usually more than efficient partner - Duo heard Heero mashing the backspace key more than once. Before today, he was pretty sure that key didn't even function as he could never once recall seeing it being used. The messy haired brunet always seemed to know exactly what to put where, answering any other employee's tedious questions without missing a beat in his own work.

Before long, regardless of how much he didn't want to admit it, the lanky young man's stomach began to growl and pester. Going home to yet another ham sandwich seemed even less appealing than normal. Again, he looked over his shoulder and found his cubicle mate's back unturned. Should he invite him to eat…? Surely the other male must be hungry too, going just as long without food. The question seemed inordinately heavy in his mouth, and struggled to move past chapped lips. "Hey…" The attempt to get Heero's attention trailed off into empty air.

noheero

Three months.

That's how long it had been since Duo had suggested an activity after work. It had been long enough for Heero to settle into the idea that he would never ask again; to forget that he'd ever asked at all. So, when an impending invitation tinted Maxwell's tone, it held no familiarity. Heero turned his face to listen.

Tip-Tap, Tip-Tap.

Loafers with someplace to be.

A coworker passed their cubical, effectively freezing the conversation. Heero and Duo calmly waited out their tread while staring at one another. In the past, they'd locked eyes while under gunfire, with their backs pressed to metal walls and sweat on their brows. Each boy had soaked in the appearance of his ally before looking down to reload or scanning for an escape route. It was a grounding tactic.

'Here we still are.'

—at Ten pm on a Friday night.

Duo faltered. Heero turned back to his computer. Their shift continued in spite of Yuy's impaired work-ethic and Maxwell's disruptive empathy. The office slowly grew empty after a final wave of loud goodbyes and printing sessions. Lights that weren't in use were clicked off, leaving large sections of the Preventer building in darkness. At 23:50, Duo stood from his chair. And Heero did the same.

duoordie

Footsteps interrupted Duo's attempt at talking. Even as the footsteps faded he was reminded how everyone in this office thought of him, of them. All the nasty words and vulgar imagery they summoned with completely uncaring tongues. Blue eyes stayed locked together, even as the evidence of other people's interference disappeared from earshot. Heero had always been intense, and they had held this kind of eye contact without flinching over the echoing vibrations of explosives…. this time seemed different though. The battle was not being waged against another group. The interplay of force instead took place between them and even as Duo turned away first he was not certain if there was a winner.

More paperwork.

As the office lights began to dim from disuse, the braided preventer couldn't stop his foot from tapping. At this point he felt like he was starving, his stomach making a backward trip towards his spine. Still the other occupant of the cubicle worked with unceasing efforts. Dark eyes watched the clock turned to ten before midnight, and he stood fully accepting that he wasn't going to succeed in talking to his partner any time soon… until Heero stood with him. Duo turned around quickly, surprise motivating his words just as much as hope. "Look, neither of us have eaten. I'm hungry. You have to be hungry." The lanky youth raised his hands in a mixture of a shrug and a sign of surrender. "Let's go get something to eat?" He couldn't stop the edge of worry that tinted his words, It had been a long time since he had even considered asking the other former pilot to join him in any activity, and for some reason there was this creeping sensation that if he didn't ask now he wouldn't get to again. So, he waited for an answer.

noheero

Heero nodded, but only after a moment of silence. To an onlooker, that moment would have appeared uncomfortable. Maybe, even hostile; just a blank stare over a span of seconds that should have held a 'yes!'

It was nothing so challenging, of course. Just a quiet attempt to settle. He'd been prepared to go the moment he'd moved from his desk. He had announced, without words, a desire to leave together by following Duo's lead.

They strolled through the dark halls, side by side. Heero glanced at the wall to their right where their shadows had assembled a couple. They'd been cast by the opposing window and seemed determined to meld into a singular, black entity. Even though the end result would be a clumsy, bobbing mess.

The halls of their facility had kept them cramped. Once they entered the parking, Heero drew back. He followed as he had in the beginning, when their partnership had still been green - too far away to touch, too close not to notice. Duo's braid became his focal point. He watched it swing with all the regularity of a pendulum.

Swish

Swish

Swish

"Where are we going."

duoordie

That single moment waiting for an answer seemed to contradict the laws of time itself. It stretched on and on while Duo looked at unrevealing blue eyes. The lack of an instant negative response gave him hope, too much hope. An emotion more fragile than glass filled his chest and a crescendo of glee burst through his veins at that small but accepting nod he received. A disbelieving smile stretched lips that had become too used to frowning in recent times. "Okay, then!" The odd statement was followed by a light laugh, before Duo turned to finally leave the office with company he again hoped would be enjoyable. This was farther than he had ever gotten. This was new. This could be great.

The walk out of the office was silent accept for the sounds of their passage, linoleum tiles echoing their footfalls and streaked windows reflecting back their faces like real world references in opposite expressions. The braided youth snuck glances at his partner in the glass, Heero's face remained in it's usual neutral configuration but he though maybe he didn't look quite so severe as was common. They took the stairs.

Outside the air was cool, and a pleasant breeze moved between the structures. A slight smell to the air hinted that maybe there would be rain… but not yet. Duo turned as his partner spoke. "I was gonna ask, it's pretty late so we could always hit a bar. Or there is a 24 hour breakfast place I know. In the mood for anything?" His tone was more chipper than he intended, his lithe body could only hold so much excitement before it spilled out.

noheero

"-A bar?" That hadn't even occurred to him. His alcohol consumption had been minimal -mostly celebratory. Mostly obligatory. Duo had suggested it comfortably enough to hint that he'd danced several times with inebriation. He walked backwards for a few, playful steps while awaiting an answer. 02 always looked like he was going to trip himself up when he did things like that…but he never did.

"Breakfast is fine." Anything was fine, except Chinese, which would have been the only thing Heero could have suggested: Ming's 24 hour delivery. Duo nodded amicably and turned back to lead the way. His follower would solemnly study their route. It was the first time he'd bothered to scope out his surroundings since being stationed on Earth.

"Didn't know there was a breakfast place. I don't know the area. I haven't walked it." He confessed as their steps fell in time, "I think I was tired after enlisting. There was a lot…" He trailed off, but they'd both been through the 'A Lot' - the banquets, the interviews, the peace conferences. And then, there was the agency itself. The Preventer Organization hadn't just come into being. It had been built. It was still being built via blood, sweat and keystrokes.

duoordie

"It's fine, just follow me." Duo's voice was full of confidence. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Heero hadn't been the type to explore. No one had assigned him to. There was a slight skip to the braided preventer's steps as he turned back around to face forward before he settled back into his normal cadence. It felt good to have Heero near him, there was a sense of safety when ever they were like this. Sure, most times now it was on their rare field missions where they didn't have to worry about being seen… but without a doubt he knew the other pilot had his back. He took a deep lung full of cool night air before proceeding.

The scrapper lead the way, and though he tried to walk there using normal pathways instinct lead him down a few back alleys. Short cuts that he had scoped out early. Over a fence here, behind a beaten building and they arrived with usual travel time cut in half. It was a relatively small restaurant, the lights were dim through tinted windows but as it was surrounded by dark structures it shined. It wasn't a fancy place by any means, but it was a step above the usual sort of diner you would run into. Duo was never quite certain why the place was 24 hours, but he was grateful. There was only so many nights he could handle greasy pub food, no matter how good it tasted.

Duo held the door open for his stern companion, a smile still bending his lips. He was glad to have Heero's company. They hadn't shared a meal together out of desire for each other's company in the long time, and he had missed the experience. His fellow preventer wasn't the greatest conversationalist by any means, but the lithe male brought a sense of calm with him that Duo sorely lacked. "Grab any free table, they'll see us."

noheero

Duo always got the door. Maybe because he'd been in the company of more women. Maybe because Heero had a tendency to drop it on his companions. 01 had never grasped the concept of 'common' courtesy. If anything, it through him off. To spite years of Duo's-door-opening-routine, Heero still paused for an instant before accepting the gesture. He never went far after accommodating; just a step ahead of the threshold to wait in earnest.

Tonight, Maxwell would find himself shoulder-to-shoulder with his copilot after entering the restaurant. It had been a while. Heero didn't corral his comrade in the streets. He hadn't done it during combat or on campus, but when the war had come to a close, Heero had closed in. He'd been as sticky as glue during his transition from soldier to civilian - because Duo mixed well with the world. He knew how to navigate a 'normal' life.

Initially, Yuy had adhered to 02 in the office as well, which had contributed directly to their damnation. His faith had lead to an assigned partnership and an assumed marriage. That fact; however, seemed forgotten as they slid into their booth tonight. Heero opted to remain hip-to-hip while surveying the menu. Duo began to offer up a conversation that was unimportant, but not unpleasant. Not much had changed, outside of their cubicals. Heero listened and nodded occasionally. He mumbled 'Same.' as the waitress wrote down Duo's order.

duoordie

The inside of the restaurant was a bit on the dark wide. The light fixtures hung low to the tables, and most of the place was decorated with browns and deep greens. It was a place of comfort for those with no schedule. A few other patrons inhabited the space, but it remained quiet. The booth's seats were made of faux brown leather, treated to be soft but still easy to clean. The tables looked like wood. Everyone knew it was just as fake as the leather, but it made the place more inviting regardless.

Even though the braided youth had told his partner to pick as seat, he was not surprised when he ended up leading the way back to a corner booth. Duo did not however expect the other male to slide in next to him, choosing to occupy the same seat rather then sitting across from him. He knew it was probably his imagination, but the side of his body that was closer to Heero seemed to feel warmer. Almost tingling. Perhaps this was the stern youths was of saying he missed this too? Yuy had always been better at doing rather than saying. Again there was a feeling of hope that maybe they could get to know each other again.

Duo began talking about his last junking run, it had happened months ago but he spoke about it like it was more recent. He had found a beautiful last century radio and taken it home. It had been a difficult rebuild, so much of it had begun to crumble that he ended up remaking a lot of the parts himself. He talked about how it was funny that it was still called a 'radio' even though radio waves had stopped being used a few centuries ago. People stuck on to things like that, you could still hear people saying 'hang up the phone' even though it was no longer an accurate description. The chatty boy hardly stopped for breath to order over-easy eggs, hashbrowns and sausage. His head tiled just a little at his companions muttered 'same'. Duo had seen that a lot back when they had been properly close… he always got the idea that Heero didn't know what he wanted, didn't understand all this interaction, and that instead Duo was used as a control group for social situations. He hoped he was a good example.

Heero never interrupted him, only adding a few syllables here and there. Usually that sort of situation would make Duo feel like he was being annoying, but that sensation never occurred when he spoke with the messy haired brunet. Heero was easy to talk to, his blue eyes remaining attentive even as his partner essentially rambled. The food arrived quickly.

noheero

"-You're a radio."

The comment slipped out while Duo was caught between breaths. Heero watched as it was absorbed, but his stare was void of intent. A radio? Had that been a compliment or an insult? Maybe, a little of both. Hot plates of breakfast food were lowered in front of them. Their heavy clink against the table pulled Heero's focus to hash browns, which he devoured right away. 01 finished each serving in it's entirety before moving on to the next. He had been hungry enough to forgo ketchup until Duo vigorously began shaking it over his own eggs.

"Here. Me too."

Eating was an activity that placed the world on pause. A few words escaped here and there, but until their plates were near empty, both men settled into the task at hand. They ate as the world had taught them to - swiftly, greedily, efficiently. Their manners had been polished by age, but beneath them linted rabid anxiety. They would always be hungry. They would always be a pair of neglected youths. Heero would be the first to slow down. After several swallows of water.

"The guy above me has a player. He blasts his shitty music at weird hours." Heero kept his eyes on his water, overseeing melting cubes of ice. He tilted the cup slightly. They sloshed against one another like shards of shimmering glass. "I'm pretty sure he dances to it, because there's a lot of thudding back and forth when it's on. I can tell by the thumps, that he has no sense of rhythm." Heero finished his anecdote dully. In the end, he didn't seem connected to it. The profanity held no bite. The guy upstairs was of no consequence. This was just how people commented on life.

duoordie

Duo couldn't help but laugh a little at Heero's interjection that he was a radio. It took him by surprise, but considering his constant talking he couldn't find fault in his partner's description. "Yeah but at least I don't have commercials, buddy." The friendly address slipped out before he could stop it. It was almost scary, how easy it was to fall back into easy interaction with the other pilot when it was just the two of them.

The presence of food prevented any further introspection on that subject though. Both boys took to eating quickly, using their forks with motions more akin to a shovel rather than an actual utensil. There was a certain joy in eating, and eating until you were full. Chewing, swallowing, real food. There had been too many stolen meals, too many nights hoping that if you just got to sleep you wouldn't feel the hunger stealing all your strength away. Starvation was not something he had had to endure in recent years, but the memory was seared into his body. He quickly slapped ketchup over his eggs, condiments being a luxury he took advantage of, and did the same for Heero when the other brunet moved his plate close enough. It was only when the other male paused to drink three big mouthfuls of water did they both pause, like some sort of unwritten cue to breathe for a moment and relax. Near violet eyes watched his companions adam's apple bob with each swallow, before reaching for his own drink as the other spoke.

The sound of Heero's voice was pleasant. Hearing him speak more than a syllable, and have it not be some sort of criticism was more than Duo had gotten in the long time. Hearing the other curse, now that was a treat. Pilot 01 had very rarely used such language, and for some reason hearing it was always especially entertaining for one Maxwell boy. He was sure to wait until the other was clearly finished, before adding his own. "I know how that is. I had an upstairs neighbor who paced all the time, it was way too annoying. I ended up requesting a move, so now I'm on a higher floor. Way better." It felt good to be having a normal conversation, rather than continuing on with another story of his own he was eager to hear his partner's voice.

noheero

"I should request a move." The way Heero spoke, hinted that he'd never considered changing apartments. He basked privately in the idea while their hostess checked in, offered dessert and pressed a bill to the table. He resumed speaking only after she'd left, while working at the meat that remained on his plate.

"Duo. Do you think this is really going to last? Universal Peace, I mean." His inquiry was tucked between bites; masquerading as a casual thought. "Seems impossible. Conflict is part of The Human Condition, isn't it." Heero's face navigated slightly towards his partner's, displaying more of his profile and a stark dose of eye contact. He wasn't chewing anymore.

"Our agency is fulfilling it's purpose. It has prevented several terrorist organizations form rising to power. Pockets of resistance continue to shrink. There hasn't been a field mission in…months." There was no optimism in his voice. If anything, his conclusion rested on the edge of urgency. Something had been festering in him and now, he was asking for a cure.

An answer.

"So, is this it?"

It isn't Hard

"Yeah," Heero watched his companion shimmy into a more casual position. Seeing Duo press himself into the corner brought about echoes of a deviant dream. There he was – the antagonist of Heero's subconscious, tucked in the appropriate jacket with his back to the wall. A small valley of flesh was framed by his coat's collar; the crisp cut of his jugular notch just above the top of his t-shirt. Heero looked away. "I don't regret it. I don't miss combat."

But.

He pushed away from the table and out of their booth. It was time to go. "Just the cockpit. And having clear objectives. Now there is always something to do, but none of it feels important." Heero slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket and waited for Duo to join him. Per usual, 01 didn't bother to grab the check. He never offered to pay for anything. He never argued if he was told to, but always seemed blissfully unaware of the bill until it was blatantly mentioned.

noheero

It isn't Hard

"Yeah," Heero watched his companion shimmy into a more casual position. Seeing Duo press himself into the corner brought about echoes of a deviant dream. There he was – the antagonist of Heero's subconscious, tucked in the appropriate jacket with his back to the wall. A small valley of flesh was framed by his coat's collar; the crisp cut of his jugular notch just above the top of his t-shirt. Heero looked away. "I don't regret it. I don't miss combat."

But.

He pushed away from the table and out of their booth. It was time to go. "Just the cockpit. And having clear objectives. Now there is always something to do, but none of it feels important." Heero slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket and waited for Duo to join him. Per usual, 01 didn't bother to grab the check. He never offered to pay for anything. He never argued if he was told to, but always seemed blissfully unaware of the bill until it was blatantly mentioned.

duoordie

The smile that pulled at his lips was more evidence of fatigue than any sort of humor. Heero moved away, and Duo was not surprised. Yuy was efficient above all other things, even if this was a social call, the other would be prepared to leave as soon as their task was completed. Quick hands pressed his card to the reader on the table, added a tip, and closed out their tab before standing up. He had invited his partner out for the meal, it was only right he pay for it. The braided preventer stood up as well, straightening his jacket as his did so. "Yeah…" He shook his head. He didn't expect to hear the same sentiments coming from Heero. Somehow he always figured the other pilot was beyond all that, wouldn't yearn for the familiar closeness and sense of purpose that he did. Fleeting eye contact, dark blue eyes trying some how to show the other he understood, and yet for once lacking the words to do so.

Duo lead the way to the door, again holding it open for his quiet partner. A relaxing sound played as soon as the portal was breached. Rain. A nice level too, gently falling to strike the earth. A real smile played on Duo's face now. His eyes seemed to light up with a child's excitement. "Race you home?" He laughed, taking off at a run before waiting for a response. Somehow he knew Heero would follow him, not for the pleasant adventure the scrapper intended… but for the challenge. He was just fine with that. The cold air felt good in his lungs, the act of running stretching out leg muscles too long locked in the 90 degree angle of desk work. He could hear the other pilot catching up to him, he would be overtaken soon, but that didn't stop him from darting down an alley and vaulting over a fence with all the grace of a professional athlete. It was likely Heero would win this little foot race, but it didn't mean Duo would just let him. Puffs of warm breath carried the ghost of laughter into the dark skies of earth.

noheero

Heero didn't leap into action right away. For a handful of confused seconds, he remained abandoned in the restaurant's entryway, caged by runoff from its overhang. He had forgotten about this aspect of Duo; this boyish spontaneity that the rest of the pilots had either lost too soon or had never possessed in the first place. It was refreshing. 02 wasn't afraid to act his age and openly encouraged others to join him. Heero's legs began moving before his mind could protest. They were determined to chase after Maxwell's way of life.

Rain pelted against Heero's front as he cut through its diagonal downpour. It's chill was exhilarating. It embraced him with the nostalgic feel of freedom. It washed away his inhibitions and by doing so, polished him into a honed missile. His back grew tight. His feet picked up their pace.

By the time Duo vaulted over his second fence, Heero's hand was in danger of pinning his braid to the barrier's surface – (a near-hazard of lifting himself up and over the same gate at almost the same time.) He dropped down fast enough to be an echo and then, charged forward.

"On your left." There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his words. Preventer 01 was enjoying their competition. He lingered next to Duo for a moment; easily keeping pace and control of his breath. When their eyes met, both boys' faces reflected a long-lost sense of satisfaction. The blue in Maxwell's stare had been invaded by a vigorous violet color. His cheeks celebrated the strain of his lungs with hues of pink. His chest heaved and his bangs drooped, but neither inconvenience could remove the grin from his face. Heero breathed back a laugh. It was habitually ominous – a troublemaker's chuckle that preannounced his claim to victory.

The bus stop directly in front of their complex became their finish line. Heero trotted to a halt between it's walls, breathing from his mouth but otherwise, giving little evidence of exhaustion. He watched as Duo rested a hand against one of the structures metal beams and fought to claim air. They filled the waiting box with their shared breath while the world around them shimmered. The rain had grown angry. Somewhere, in the distance, thunder cheered it on.

noheero

It isn't Hard

"Yeah," Heero watched his companion shimmy into a more casual position. Seeing Duo press himself into the corner brought about echoes of a deviant dream. There he was – the antagonist of Heero's subconscious, tucked in the appropriate jacket with his back to the wall. A small valley of flesh was framed by his coat's collar; the crisp cut of his jugular notch just above the top of his t-shirt. Heero looked away. "I don't regret it. I don't miss combat."

But.

He pushed away from the table and out of their booth. It was time to go. "Just the cockpit. And having clear objectives. Now there is always something to do, but none of it feels important." Heero slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket and waited for Duo to join him. Per usual, 01 didn't bother to grab the check. He never offered to pay for anything. He never argued if he was told to, but always seemed blissfully unaware of the bill until it was blatantly mentioned.

duoordie

The smile that pulled at his lips was more evidence of fatigue than any sort of humor. Heero moved away, and Duo was not surprised. Yuy was efficient above all other things, even if this was a social call, the other would be prepared to leave as soon as their task was completed. Quick hands pressed his card to the reader on the table, added a tip, and closed out their tab before standing up. He had invited his partner out for the meal, it was only right he pay for it. The braided preventer stood up as well, straightening his jacket as his did so. "Yeah…" He shook his head. He didn't expect to hear the same sentiments coming from Heero. Somehow he always figured the other pilot was beyond all that, wouldn't yearn for the familiar closeness and sense of purpose that he did. Fleeting eye contact, dark blue eyes trying some how to show the other he understood, and yet for once lacking the words to do so.

Duo lead the way to the door, again holding it open for his quiet partner. A relaxing sound played as soon as the portal was breached. Rain. A nice level too, gently falling to strike the earth. A real smile played on Duo's face now. His eyes seemed to light up with a child's excitement. "Race you home?" He laughed, taking off at a run before waiting for a response. Somehow he knew Heero would follow him, not for the pleasant adventure the scrapper intended… but for the challenge. He was just fine with that. The cold air felt good in his lungs, the act of running stretching out leg muscles too long locked in the 90 degree angle of desk work. He could hear the other pilot catching up to him, he would be overtaken soon, but that didn't stop him from darting down an alley and vaulting over a fence with all the grace of a professional athlete. It was likely Heero would win this little foot race, but it didn't mean Duo would just let him. Puffs of warm breath carried the ghost of laughter into the dark skies of earth.

noheero

Heero didn't leap into action right away. For a handful of confused seconds, he remained abandoned in the restaurant's entryway, caged by runoff from its overhang. He had forgotten about this aspect of Duo; this boyish spontaneity that the rest of the pilots had either lost too soon or had never possessed in the first place. It was refreshing. 02 wasn't afraid to act his age and openly encouraged others to join him. Heero's legs began moving before his mind could protest. They were determined to chase after Maxwell's way of life.

Rain pelted against Heero's front as he cut through its diagonal downpour. It's chill was exhilarating. It embraced him with the nostalgic feel of freedom. It washed away his inhibitions and by doing so, polished him into a honed missile. His back grew tight. His feet picked up their pace.

By the time Duo vaulted over his second fence, Heero's hand was in danger of pinning his braid to the barrier's surface – (a near-hazard of lifting himself up and over the same gate at almost the same time.) He dropped down fast enough to be an echo and then, charged forward.

"On your left." There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his words. Preventer 01 was enjoying their competition. He lingered next to Duo for a moment; easily keeping pace and control of his breath. When their eyes met, both boys' faces reflected a long-lost sense of satisfaction. The blue in Maxwell's stare had been invaded by a vigorous violet color. His cheeks celebrated the strain of his lungs with hues of pink. His chest heaved and his bangs drooped, but neither inconvenience could remove the grin from his face. Heero breathed back a laugh. It was habitually ominous – a troublemaker's chuckle that preannounced his claim to victory.

The bus stop directly in front of their complex became their finish line. Heero trotted to a halt between it's walls, breathing from his mouth but otherwise, giving little evidence of exhaustion. He watched as Duo rested a hand against one of the structures metal beams and fought to claim air. They filled the waiting box with their shared breath while the world around them shimmered. The rain had grown angry. Somewhere, in the distance, thunder cheered it on.

duoordie

Heero's voice sounded to his side, as the other pilot moved to run alongside him. Duo looked over, and saw his own smile reflected on his partner's face. The laugh that he heard made him feel like he was soaring. The braided preventer's breathing was rough as he pumped his arms and pushed his legs as fast as he could go, and still the other brunet began to pull ahead. Shining eyes watched the other's similarly jacket-encased shoulders move in front of him as they neared their complex. Heero was impressive, no way around it. Duo had undergone training as well, but he knew it was nothing like the lean male in front of him. Still, he did his best to not get left too far behind.

The two boys rounded the corner into the parallel alleyway next to the apartment building, using that odd jog when one is trying to slow down but can't do it quite fast enough, to finally come to a stop. Duo put one hand against the wall, and bent forward to put his other on his knees. He pulled in deep gasps of air, feeling the burn in his lungs only to release and fill his chest again. Before long he straightened and nearly tossed his head back, a bark of laughter echoing along with the thunder even as the rain pelted down harder. Duo moved to lean his back against the well, to rest a moment while his chest still heaved. He felt wet to his bones, but he hardly cared. The excitement and excursion warmed the lithe body through. "Heero-!" The name left his lips before he had any idea why, he had no words to share, only the exclamation that proved that yes the other youth really was here with him. Duo kept grinning, even a the sky drenched them both. The other's usually messy hair was pulled forcefully down and stuck to the other pilot's face, much as Duo's own bangs were doing. Despite the dark skies, and his sopping hair, Heero still possessed that bright gaze that Duo craved to have fixed on him in this moment.

He didn't care that it was late, they were supposed to have the next day off anyways. Though, he knew Heero would probably go in regardless. Noin's emails told him as much. Duo wanted that moment to last forever though, soaking in the rain and laughing with one of the few people he felt he could ever trust. He couldn't resist the feeling of giddiness that shook him, the mix of endorphins and desired company bringing about a high he had no reason not to ride.

noheero

"What."

Heero was still smiling. He was hardly capable of flashing a crescent-moon-grin like Duo's, but the tight curve of his lips revealed the tips of his teeth. Dimples framed the pilots mouth; two tiny secrets that went away when he wiped the rain from his face. He hid them beneath a relaxed exterior while taking a seat. 02 would be allowed to recover without interruption. No conversation was offered until he'd joined his friend on the bus bench.

"We haven't done this in a long time…seen each other outside of work."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me." Duo agreed absently while stretching his arms behind his head. His hands soon busied themselves by sweeping down the top of his braid. He brought his hair over one shoulder, leaned forward and attempted to ring it out above his shoes. "What's it been, like three months?"

"-Is it because of the rumors?"

Heero's inquiry was issued gently. It was almost inaudible against the tapping of rain. He had averted his eyes to the glimmering pavement beyond their bus stop and seemed to be regarding it's puddles kindly. "You know, right? What's being said?" This was the real Heero Yuy, not the hard-nosed paper pusher that shared Duo's cubical. This was the Yuy that hid during parties and napped in strange places; the boy who lost time looking at the stars and listened to the news when he wanted company.

"Does it bother you?"

noheero

It isn't Hard

"Yeah," Heero watched his companion shimmy into a more casual position. Seeing Duo press himself into the corner brought about echoes of a deviant dream. There he was – the antagonist of Heero's subconscious, tucked in the appropriate jacket with his back to the wall. A small valley of flesh was framed by his coat's collar; the crisp cut of his jugular notch just above the top of his t-shirt. Heero looked away. "I don't regret it. I don't miss combat."

But.

He pushed away from the table and out of their booth. It was time to go. "Just the cockpit. And having clear objectives. Now there is always something to do, but none of it feels important." Heero slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket and waited for Duo to join him. Per usual, 01 didn't bother to grab the check. He never offered to pay for anything. He never argued if he was told to, but always seemed blissfully unaware of the bill until it was blatantly mentioned.

duoordie

The smile that pulled at his lips was more evidence of fatigue than any sort of humor. Heero moved away, and Duo was not surprised. Yuy was efficient above all other things, even if this was a social call, the other would be prepared to leave as soon as their task was completed. Quick hands pressed his card to the reader on the table, added a tip, and closed out their tab before standing up. He had invited his partner out for the meal, it was only right he pay for it. The braided preventer stood up as well, straightening his jacket as his did so. "Yeah…" He shook his head. He didn't expect to hear the same sentiments coming from Heero. Somehow he always figured the other pilot was beyond all that, wouldn't yearn for the familiar closeness and sense of purpose that he did. Fleeting eye contact, dark blue eyes trying some how to show the other he understood, and yet for once lacking the words to do so.

Duo lead the way to the door, again holding it open for his quiet partner. A relaxing sound played as soon as the portal was breached. Rain. A nice level too, gently falling to strike the earth. A real smile played on Duo's face now. His eyes seemed to light up with a child's excitement. "Race you home?" He laughed, taking off at a run before waiting for a response. Somehow he knew Heero would follow him, not for the pleasant adventure the scrapper intended… but for the challenge. He was just fine with that. The cold air felt good in his lungs, the act of running stretching out leg muscles too long locked in the 90 degree angle of desk work. He could hear the other pilot catching up to him, he would be overtaken soon, but that didn't stop him from darting down an alley and vaulting over a fence with all the grace of a professional athlete. It was likely Heero would win this little foot race, but it didn't mean Duo would just let him. Puffs of warm breath carried the ghost of laughter into the dark skies of earth.

noheero

Heero didn't leap into action right away. For a handful of confused seconds, he remained abandoned in the restaurant's entryway, caged by runoff from its overhang. He had forgotten about this aspect of Duo; this boyish spontaneity that the rest of the pilots had either lost too soon or had never possessed in the first place. It was refreshing. 02 wasn't afraid to act his age and openly encouraged others to join him. Heero's legs began moving before his mind could protest. They were determined to chase after Maxwell's way of life.

Rain pelted against Heero's front as he cut through its diagonal downpour. It's chill was exhilarating. It embraced him with the nostalgic feel of freedom. It washed away his inhibitions and by doing so, polished him into a honed missile. His back grew tight. His feet picked up their pace.

By the time Duo vaulted over his second fence, Heero's hand was in danger of pinning his braid to the barrier's surface – (a near-hazard of lifting himself up and over the same gate at almost the same time.) He dropped down fast enough to be an echo and then, charged forward.

"On your left." There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his words. Preventer 01 was enjoying their competition. He lingered next to Duo for a moment; easily keeping pace and control of his breath. When their eyes met, both boys' faces reflected a long-lost sense of satisfaction. The blue in Maxwell's stare had been invaded by a vigorous violet color. His cheeks celebrated the strain of his lungs with hues of pink. His chest heaved and his bangs drooped, but neither inconvenience could remove the grin from his face. Heero breathed back a laugh. It was habitually ominous – a troublemaker's chuckle that preannounced his claim to victory.

The bus stop directly in front of their complex became their finish line. Heero trotted to a halt between it's walls, breathing from his mouth but otherwise, giving little evidence of exhaustion. He watched as Duo rested a hand against one of the structures metal beams and fought to claim air. They filled the waiting box with their shared breath while the world around them shimmered. The rain had grown angry. Somewhere, in the distance, thunder cheered it on.

duoordie

Heero's voice sounded to his side, as the other pilot moved to run alongside him. Duo looked over, and saw his own smile reflected on his partner's face. The laugh that he heard made him feel like he was soaring. The braided preventer's breathing was rough as he pumped his arms and pushed his legs as fast as he could go, and still the other brunet began to pull ahead. Shining eyes watched the other's similarly jacket-encased shoulders move in front of him as they neared their complex. Heero was impressive, no way around it. Duo had undergone training as well, but he knew it was nothing like the lean male in front of him. Still, he did his best to not get left too far behind.

The two boys rounded the corner into the parallel alleyway next to the apartment building, using that odd jog when one is trying to slow down but can't do it quite fast enough, to finally come to a stop. Duo put one hand against the wall, and bent forward to put his other on his knees. He pulled in deep gasps of air, feeling the burn in his lungs only to release and fill his chest again. Before long he straightened and nearly tossed his head back, a bark of laughter echoing along with the thunder even as the rain pelted down harder. Duo moved to lean his back against the well, to rest a moment while his chest still heaved. He felt wet to his bones, but he hardly cared. The excitement and excursion warmed the lithe body through. "Heero-!" The name left his lips before he had any idea why, he had no words to share, only the exclamation that proved that yes the other youth really was here with him. Duo kept grinning, even a the sky drenched them both. The other's usually messy hair was pulled forcefully down and stuck to the other pilot's face, much as Duo's own bangs were doing. Despite the dark skies, and his sopping hair, Heero still possessed that bright gaze that Duo craved to have fixed on him in this moment.

He didn't care that it was late, they were supposed to have the next day off anyways. Though, he knew Heero would probably go in regardless. Noin's emails told him as much. Duo wanted that moment to last forever though, soaking in the rain and laughing with one of the few people he felt he could ever trust. He couldn't resist the feeling of giddiness that shook him, the mix of endorphins and desired company bringing about a high he had no reason not to ride.

noheero

"What."

Heero was still smiling. He was hardly capable of flashing a crescent-moon-grin like Duo's, but the tight curve of his lips revealed the tips of his teeth. Dimples framed the pilots mouth; two tiny secrets that went away when he wiped the rain from his face. He hid them beneath a relaxed exterior while taking a seat. 02 would be allowed to recover without interruption. No conversation was offered until he'd joined his friend on the bus bench.

"We haven't done this in a long time…seen each other outside of work."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me." Duo agreed absently while stretching his arms behind his head. His hands soon busied themselves by sweeping down the top of his braid. He brought his hair over one shoulder, leaned forward and attempted to ring it out above his shoes. "What's it been, like three months?"

"-Is it because of the rumors?"

Heero's inquiry was issued gently. It was almost inaudible against the tapping of rain. He had averted his eyes to the glimmering pavement beyond their bus stop and seemed to be regarding it's puddles kindly. "You know, right? What's being said?" This was the real Heero Yuy, not the hard-nosed paper pusher that shared Duo's cubical. This was the Yuy that hid during parties and napped in strange places; the boy who lost time looking at the stars and listened to the news when he wanted company.

"Does it bother you?"

duoordie

Long fingered hands paused in their task. Only now did the chill of the storm seem to begin permeate his cheer. "….I've heard it all." Duo's voice was soft, before he went back to uselessly wringing the wetness from his braid. He'd have to walk through the rain to get the the apartment building, once they left the protection of the bus stop, so he did it more out of habit than anything. The metal enclosure suddenly seemed tighter, unfriendly walls enclosing them. "They don't even know I'm there, don't notice." He shook his head. The braided preventer sighed, the joy he felt from being around Heero in a casual environment was fading. The more stoic pilot seemed set on talking about 'important' things tonight. A sudden sense of fatigue fell on slim shoulders. They'd been avoiding this a long time, couldn't he have just one night to pretend they were still friends and not stuck in this awkward situation formed of other people's opinions? It seemed he was unlucky.

Dark blue eyes settled on the pavement before them, watching raindrops disappear into the already wet surface. "Of course it bothers me!" His voice came out louder and harsher than he intended, practically biting the syllables out. He was angry, had been for a long time. Heero had remained in his life after the war. The stern male was still alive, he kept surviving against odds that Duo took for granted. How could he not want to get closer to him? How could he not want to get to know him? "…doesn't it bother you? Being the topic of gossip all the time?"

noheero

Heero regarded Duo's outburst with a sideways stare. "No. Not really." Thunder rolled overhead, grumbling it's malcontent. The streetlight looming to their left, cast it's glow through the station's glass panels. It magnified trailing drops of water and painted the interior of their shelter with quivering shadows. "I don't like being the focus of gossip, but the nature of what's being said…doesn't bother me." Duo remained uncharacteristically quiet. He was visibly uncomfortable. Heero was not. The stoic agent appeared immune to the awkward atmosphere he'd just created. 01 waited quietly -calmly, for their discussion to progress.

noheero

It isn't Hard

"Yeah," Heero watched his companion shimmy into a more casual position. Seeing Duo press himself into the corner brought about echoes of a deviant dream. There he was – the antagonist of Heero's subconscious, tucked in the appropriate jacket with his back to the wall. A small valley of flesh was framed by his coat's collar; the crisp cut of his jugular notch just above the top of his t-shirt. Heero looked away. "I don't regret it. I don't miss combat."

But.

He pushed away from the table and out of their booth. It was time to go. "Just the cockpit. And having clear objectives. Now there is always something to do, but none of it feels important." Heero slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket and waited for Duo to join him. Per usual, 01 didn't bother to grab the check. He never offered to pay for anything. He never argued if he was told to, but always seemed blissfully unaware of the bill until it was blatantly mentioned.

duoordie

The smile that pulled at his lips was more evidence of fatigue than any sort of humor. Heero moved away, and Duo was not surprised. Yuy was efficient above all other things, even if this was a social call, the other would be prepared to leave as soon as their task was completed. Quick hands pressed his card to the reader on the table, added a tip, and closed out their tab before standing up. He had invited his partner out for the meal, it was only right he pay for it. The braided preventer stood up as well, straightening his jacket as his did so. "Yeah…" He shook his head. He didn't expect to hear the same sentiments coming from Heero. Somehow he always figured the other pilot was beyond all that, wouldn't yearn for the familiar closeness and sense of purpose that he did. Fleeting eye contact, dark blue eyes trying some how to show the other he understood, and yet for once lacking the words to do so.

Duo lead the way to the door, again holding it open for his quiet partner. A relaxing sound played as soon as the portal was breached. Rain. A nice level too, gently falling to strike the earth. A real smile played on Duo's face now. His eyes seemed to light up with a child's excitement. "Race you home?" He laughed, taking off at a run before waiting for a response. Somehow he knew Heero would follow him, not for the pleasant adventure the scrapper intended… but for the challenge. He was just fine with that. The cold air felt good in his lungs, the act of running stretching out leg muscles too long locked in the 90 degree angle of desk work. He could hear the other pilot catching up to him, he would be overtaken soon, but that didn't stop him from darting down an alley and vaulting over a fence with all the grace of a professional athlete. It was likely Heero would win this little foot race, but it didn't mean Duo would just let him. Puffs of warm breath carried the ghost of laughter into the dark skies of earth.

noheero

Heero didn't leap into action right away. For a handful of confused seconds, he remained abandoned in the restaurant's entryway, caged by runoff from its overhang. He had forgotten about this aspect of Duo; this boyish spontaneity that the rest of the pilots had either lost too soon or had never possessed in the first place. It was refreshing. 02 wasn't afraid to act his age and openly encouraged others to join him. Heero's legs began moving before his mind could protest. They were determined to chase after Maxwell's way of life.

Rain pelted against Heero's front as he cut through its diagonal downpour. It's chill was exhilarating. It embraced him with the nostalgic feel of freedom. It washed away his inhibitions and by doing so, polished him into a honed missile. His back grew tight. His feet picked up their pace.

By the time Duo vaulted over his second fence, Heero's hand was in danger of pinning his braid to the barrier's surface – (a near-hazard of lifting himself up and over the same gate at almost the same time.) He dropped down fast enough to be an echo and then, charged forward.

"On your left." There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his words. Preventer 01 was enjoying their competition. He lingered next to Duo for a moment; easily keeping pace and control of his breath. When their eyes met, both boys' faces reflected a long-lost sense of satisfaction. The blue in Maxwell's stare had been invaded by a vigorous violet color. His cheeks celebrated the strain of his lungs with hues of pink. His chest heaved and his bangs drooped, but neither inconvenience could remove the grin from his face. Heero breathed back a laugh. It was habitually ominous – a troublemaker's chuckle that preannounced his claim to victory.

The bus stop directly in front of their complex became their finish line. Heero trotted to a halt between it's walls, breathing from his mouth but otherwise, giving little evidence of exhaustion. He watched as Duo rested a hand against one of the structures metal beams and fought to claim air. They filled the waiting box with their shared breath while the world around them shimmered. The rain had grown angry. Somewhere, in the distance, thunder cheered it on.

duoordie

Heero's voice sounded to his side, as the other pilot moved to run alongside him. Duo looked over, and saw his own smile reflected on his partner's face. The laugh that he heard made him feel like he was soaring. The braided preventer's breathing was rough as he pumped his arms and pushed his legs as fast as he could go, and still the other brunet began to pull ahead. Shining eyes watched the other's similarly jacket-encased shoulders move in front of him as they neared their complex. Heero was impressive, no way around it. Duo had undergone training as well, but he knew it was nothing like the lean male in front of him. Still, he did his best to not get left too far behind.

The two boys rounded the corner into the parallel alleyway next to the apartment building, using that odd jog when one is trying to slow down but can't do it quite fast enough, to finally come to a stop. Duo put one hand against the wall, and bent forward to put his other on his knees. He pulled in deep gasps of air, feeling the burn in his lungs only to release and fill his chest again. Before long he straightened and nearly tossed his head back, a bark of laughter echoing along with the thunder even as the rain pelted down harder. Duo moved to lean his back against the well, to rest a moment while his chest still heaved. He felt wet to his bones, but he hardly cared. The excitement and excursion warmed the lithe body through. "Heero-!" The name left his lips before he had any idea why, he had no words to share, only the exclamation that proved that yes the other youth really was here with him. Duo kept grinning, even a the sky drenched them both. The other's usually messy hair was pulled forcefully down and stuck to the other pilot's face, much as Duo's own bangs were doing. Despite the dark skies, and his sopping hair, Heero still possessed that bright gaze that Duo craved to have fixed on him in this moment.

He didn't care that it was late, they were supposed to have the next day off anyways. Though, he knew Heero would probably go in regardless. Noin's emails told him as much. Duo wanted that moment to last forever though, soaking in the rain and laughing with one of the few people he felt he could ever trust. He couldn't resist the feeling of giddiness that shook him, the mix of endorphins and desired company bringing about a high he had no reason not to ride.

noheero

"What."

Heero was still smiling. He was hardly capable of flashing a crescent-moon-grin like Duo's, but the tight curve of his lips revealed the tips of his teeth. Dimples framed the pilots mouth; two tiny secrets that went away when he wiped the rain from his face. He hid them beneath a relaxed exterior while taking a seat. 02 would be allowed to recover without interruption. No conversation was offered until he'd joined his friend on the bus bench.

"We haven't done this in a long time…seen each other outside of work."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me." Duo agreed absently while stretching his arms behind his head. His hands soon busied themselves by sweeping down the top of his braid. He brought his hair over one shoulder, leaned forward and attempted to ring it out above his shoes. "What's it been, like three months?"

"-Is it because of the rumors?"

Heero's inquiry was issued gently. It was almost inaudible against the tapping of rain. He had averted his eyes to the glimmering pavement beyond their bus stop and seemed to be regarding it's puddles kindly. "You know, right? What's being said?" This was the real Heero Yuy, not the hard-nosed paper pusher that shared Duo's cubical. This was the Yuy that hid during parties and napped in strange places; the boy who lost time looking at the stars and listened to the news when he wanted company.

"Does it bother you?"

duoordie

Long fingered hands paused in their task. Only now did the chill of the storm seem to begin permeate his cheer. "….I've heard it all." Duo's voice was soft, before he went back to uselessly wringing the wetness from his braid. He'd have to walk through the rain to get the the apartment building, once they left the protection of the bus stop, so he did it more out of habit than anything. The metal enclosure suddenly seemed tighter, unfriendly walls enclosing them. "They don't even know I'm there, don't notice." He shook his head. The braided preventer sighed, the joy he felt from being around Heero in a casual environment was fading. The more stoic pilot seemed set on talking about 'important' things tonight. A sudden sense of fatigue fell on slim shoulders. They'd been avoiding this a long time, couldn't he have just one night to pretend they were still friends and not stuck in this awkward situation formed of other people's opinions? It seemed he was unlucky.

Dark blue eyes settled on the pavement before them, watching raindrops disappear into the already wet surface. "Of course it bothers me!" His voice came out louder and harsher than he intended, practically biting the syllables out. He was angry, had been for a long time. Heero had remained in his life after the war. The stern male was still alive, he kept surviving against odds that Duo took for granted. How could he not want to get closer to him? How could he not want to get to know him? "…doesn't it bother you? Being the topic of gossip all the time?"

noheero

Heero regarded Duo's outburst with a sideways stare. "No. Not really." Thunder rolled overhead, grumbling it's malcontent. The streetlight looming to their left, cast it's glow through the station's glass panels. It magnified trailing drops of water and painted the interior of their shelter with quivering shadows. "I don't like being the focus of gossip, but the nature of what's being said…doesn't bother me." Duo remained uncharacteristically quiet. He was visibly uncomfortable. Heero was not. The stoic agent appeared immune to the awkward atmosphere he'd just created. 01 waited quietly -calmly, for their discussion to progress.

duoordie

Duo just tried to breathe. The air was cold, and every exhale was marked by a puff of steam. The tip of his nose was numb. He was more than a little surprised that the content of the rumors didn't seem to both his partner. "…what they are saying isn't the problem…." The agreement was spoke softly. "I don't like feeling like the office entertainment." Again, he shook his head. A physical mark of negation. He wished there was some way to just block it all out. The rumors and gossip felt like a wedge, making any sort of natural progression in their interactions heavy and difficult. The braided youth wanted to be close to Heero, he knew that when he decided to rescue him from that military hospital. Yet now, when the war was finally won and everyone could enjoy this peace… he felt like he was in a battle again, only this time he had no idea how to fight.

noheero

"Yeah. I remember you saying that."

Duo had never said that.

At least, not to Heero. He had; however, voiced his distaste in the locker-room after suffering an impromptu interrogation. That occurrence had been near the beginning. One, possibly two, Februaries ago. "There's nothing we can do to avoid that, aside from what we've been doing. You could change desks." Yuy rose from his seat, eyes momentarily closed; shutting out the world until he'd reached his full height and tucked his hands into his coat. "It's late. I'm going in."

noheero

It isn't Hard

"Yeah," Heero watched his companion shimmy into a more casual position. Seeing Duo press himself into the corner brought about echoes of a deviant dream. There he was – the antagonist of Heero's subconscious, tucked in the appropriate jacket with his back to the wall. A small valley of flesh was framed by his coat's collar; the crisp cut of his jugular notch just above the top of his t-shirt. Heero looked away. "I don't regret it. I don't miss combat."

But.

He pushed away from the table and out of their booth. It was time to go. "Just the cockpit. And having clear objectives. Now there is always something to do, but none of it feels important." Heero slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket and waited for Duo to join him. Per usual, 01 didn't bother to grab the check. He never offered to pay for anything. He never argued if he was told to, but always seemed blissfully unaware of the bill until it was blatantly mentioned.

duoordie

The smile that pulled at his lips was more evidence of fatigue than any sort of humor. Heero moved away, and Duo was not surprised. Yuy was efficient above all other things, even if this was a social call, the other would be prepared to leave as soon as their task was completed. Quick hands pressed his card to the reader on the table, added a tip, and closed out their tab before standing up. He had invited his partner out for the meal, it was only right he pay for it. The braided preventer stood up as well, straightening his jacket as his did so. "Yeah…" He shook his head. He didn't expect to hear the same sentiments coming from Heero. Somehow he always figured the other pilot was beyond all that, wouldn't yearn for the familiar closeness and sense of purpose that he did. Fleeting eye contact, dark blue eyes trying some how to show the other he understood, and yet for once lacking the words to do so.

Duo lead the way to the door, again holding it open for his quiet partner. A relaxing sound played as soon as the portal was breached. Rain. A nice level too, gently falling to strike the earth. A real smile played on Duo's face now. His eyes seemed to light up with a child's excitement. "Race you home?" He laughed, taking off at a run before waiting for a response. Somehow he knew Heero would follow him, not for the pleasant adventure the scrapper intended… but for the challenge. He was just fine with that. The cold air felt good in his lungs, the act of running stretching out leg muscles too long locked in the 90 degree angle of desk work. He could hear the other pilot catching up to him, he would be overtaken soon, but that didn't stop him from darting down an alley and vaulting over a fence with all the grace of a professional athlete. It was likely Heero would win this little foot race, but it didn't mean Duo would just let him. Puffs of warm breath carried the ghost of laughter into the dark skies of earth.

noheero

Heero didn't leap into action right away. For a handful of confused seconds, he remained abandoned in the restaurant's entryway, caged by runoff from its overhang. He had forgotten about this aspect of Duo; this boyish spontaneity that the rest of the pilots had either lost too soon or had never possessed in the first place. It was refreshing. 02 wasn't afraid to act his age and openly encouraged others to join him. Heero's legs began moving before his mind could protest. They were determined to chase after Maxwell's way of life.

Rain pelted against Heero's front as he cut through its diagonal downpour. It's chill was exhilarating. It embraced him with the nostalgic feel of freedom. It washed away his inhibitions and by doing so, polished him into a honed missile. His back grew tight. His feet picked up their pace.

By the time Duo vaulted over his second fence, Heero's hand was in danger of pinning his braid to the barrier's surface – (a near-hazard of lifting himself up and over the same gate at almost the same time.) He dropped down fast enough to be an echo and then, charged forward.

"On your left." There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his words. Preventer 01 was enjoying their competition. He lingered next to Duo for a moment; easily keeping pace and control of his breath. When their eyes met, both boys' faces reflected a long-lost sense of satisfaction. The blue in Maxwell's stare had been invaded by a vigorous violet color. His cheeks celebrated the strain of his lungs with hues of pink. His chest heaved and his bangs drooped, but neither inconvenience could remove the grin from his face. Heero breathed back a laugh. It was habitually ominous – a troublemaker's chuckle that preannounced his claim to victory.

The bus stop directly in front of their complex became their finish line. Heero trotted to a halt between it's walls, breathing from his mouth but otherwise, giving little evidence of exhaustion. He watched as Duo rested a hand against one of the structures metal beams and fought to claim air. They filled the waiting box with their shared breath while the world around them shimmered. The rain had grown angry. Somewhere, in the distance, thunder cheered it on.

duoordie

Heero's voice sounded to his side, as the other pilot moved to run alongside him. Duo looked over, and saw his own smile reflected on his partner's face. The laugh that he heard made him feel like he was soaring. The braided preventer's breathing was rough as he pumped his arms and pushed his legs as fast as he could go, and still the other brunet began to pull ahead. Shining eyes watched the other's similarly jacket-encased shoulders move in front of him as they neared their complex. Heero was impressive, no way around it. Duo had undergone training as well, but he knew it was nothing like the lean male in front of him. Still, he did his best to not get left too far behind.

The two boys rounded the corner into the parallel alleyway next to the apartment building, using that odd jog when one is trying to slow down but can't do it quite fast enough, to finally come to a stop. Duo put one hand against the wall, and bent forward to put his other on his knees. He pulled in deep gasps of air, feeling the burn in his lungs only to release and fill his chest again. Before long he straightened and nearly tossed his head back, a bark of laughter echoing along with the thunder even as the rain pelted down harder. Duo moved to lean his back against the well, to rest a moment while his chest still heaved. He felt wet to his bones, but he hardly cared. The excitement and excursion warmed the lithe body through. "Heero-!" The name left his lips before he had any idea why, he had no words to share, only the exclamation that proved that yes the other youth really was here with him. Duo kept grinning, even a the sky drenched them both. The other's usually messy hair was pulled forcefully down and stuck to the other pilot's face, much as Duo's own bangs were doing. Despite the dark skies, and his sopping hair, Heero still possessed that bright gaze that Duo craved to have fixed on him in this moment.

He didn't care that it was late, they were supposed to have the next day off anyways. Though, he knew Heero would probably go in regardless. Noin's emails told him as much. Duo wanted that moment to last forever though, soaking in the rain and laughing with one of the few people he felt he could ever trust. He couldn't resist the feeling of giddiness that shook him, the mix of endorphins and desired company bringing about a high he had no reason not to ride.

noheero

"What."

Heero was still smiling. He was hardly capable of flashing a crescent-moon-grin like Duo's, but the tight curve of his lips revealed the tips of his teeth. Dimples framed the pilots mouth; two tiny secrets that went away when he wiped the rain from his face. He hid them beneath a relaxed exterior while taking a seat. 02 would be allowed to recover without interruption. No conversation was offered until he'd joined his friend on the bus bench.

"We haven't done this in a long time…seen each other outside of work."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me." Duo agreed absently while stretching his arms behind his head. His hands soon busied themselves by sweeping down the top of his braid. He brought his hair over one shoulder, leaned forward and attempted to ring it out above his shoes. "What's it been, like three months?"

"-Is it because of the rumors?"

Heero's inquiry was issued gently. It was almost inaudible against the tapping of rain. He had averted his eyes to the glimmering pavement beyond their bus stop and seemed to be regarding it's puddles kindly. "You know, right? What's being said?" This was the real Heero Yuy, not the hard-nosed paper pusher that shared Duo's cubical. This was the Yuy that hid during parties and napped in strange places; the boy who lost time looking at the stars and listened to the news when he wanted company.

"Does it bother you?"

duoordie

Long fingered hands paused in their task. Only now did the chill of the storm seem to begin permeate his cheer. "….I've heard it all." Duo's voice was soft, before he went back to uselessly wringing the wetness from his braid. He'd have to walk through the rain to get the the apartment building, once they left the protection of the bus stop, so he did it more out of habit than anything. The metal enclosure suddenly seemed tighter, unfriendly walls enclosing them. "They don't even know I'm there, don't notice." He shook his head. The braided preventer sighed, the joy he felt from being around Heero in a casual environment was fading. The more stoic pilot seemed set on talking about 'important' things tonight. A sudden sense of fatigue fell on slim shoulders. They'd been avoiding this a long time, couldn't he have just one night to pretend they were still friends and not stuck in this awkward situation formed of other people's opinions? It seemed he was unlucky.

Dark blue eyes settled on the pavement before them, watching raindrops disappear into the already wet surface. "Of course it bothers me!" His voice came out louder and harsher than he intended, practically biting the syllables out. He was angry, had been for a long time. Heero had remained in his life after the war. The stern male was still alive, he kept surviving against odds that Duo took for granted. How could he not want to get closer to him? How could he not want to get to know him? "…doesn't it bother you? Being the topic of gossip all the time?"

noheero

Heero regarded Duo's outburst with a sideways stare. "No. Not really." Thunder rolled overhead, grumbling it's malcontent. The streetlight looming to their left, cast it's glow through the station's glass panels. It magnified trailing drops of water and painted the interior of their shelter with quivering shadows. "I don't like being the focus of gossip, but the nature of what's being said…doesn't bother me." Duo remained uncharacteristically quiet. He was visibly uncomfortable. Heero was not. The stoic agent appeared immune to the awkward atmosphere he'd just created. 01 waited quietly -calmly, for their discussion to progress.

duoordie

Duo just tried to breathe. The air was cold, and every exhale was marked by a puff of steam. The tip of his nose was numb. He was more than a little surprised that the content of the rumors didn't seem to both his partner. "…what they are saying isn't the problem…." The agreement was spoke softly. "I don't like feeling like the office entertainment." Again, he shook his head. A physical mark of negation. He wished there was some way to just block it all out. The rumors and gossip felt like a wedge, making any sort of natural progression in their interactions heavy and difficult. The braided youth wanted to be close to Heero, he knew that when he decided to rescue him from that military hospital. Yet now, when the war was finally won and everyone could enjoy this peace… he felt like he was in a battle again, only this time he had no idea how to fight.

noheero

"Yeah. I remember you saying that."

Duo had never said that.

At least, not to Heero. He had; however, voiced his distaste in the locker-room after suffering an impromptu interrogation. That occurrence had been near the beginning. One, possibly two, Februaries ago. "There's nothing we can do to avoid that, aside from what we've been doing. You could change desks." Yuy rose from his seat, eyes momentarily closed; shutting out the world until he'd reached his full height and tucked his hands into his coat. "It's late. I'm going in."

duoordie

Orchid hued eyes watched his partner rise, a sense of discomfort blooming in him that no longer had to do with the confines of the narrow bus stop. Duo stood as well. "I don't want to change desks." It was a simple statement, uttered quietly with a tone echoing a childish stubbornness. This close, it was suddenly apparent how much the other preventer had grown. Duo had been quite a few inches taller than the other, back when they were still pilots, but now they were just about equal in height. "…do you want me to?" The question was asked honestly. The braided preventer had done what he could to keep a respectful working distance, no longer asking for personal time and being sure to leave the office quietly. Today had seemed different, and he had taken a chance. Was this Heero's way of telling him goodbye? One after-work meal as some sort of consolation prize? He knew though, that if the other brunet really wanted him gone, he'd put in the paperwork before the sun rose.

noheero

'…do you want me to?'

Heero paused on the cusp of the shelter's shadow. Rain kissed the tips of his shoes, encouraging him to step back into it's reach. Florescence from the street traced his hairline and far shoulder while he waited for his companion to close in.

"No. I don't."

They left their tension at the bus stop. Both agents trotted up slippery grass and across the apartment's glimmering parking lot. Their trek to the door was made quicker by newly-achieved lightness in their steps. There was still a problem looming overhead, just as thick and gloomy as the evening storm clouds. It would take time to dispersed. It would take numerous talks, but at least now…it had been acknowledged. That counted for something.

noheero

It isn't Hard

Beep-Deet

Beep-Dee—

"This is Yuy."

"Heero, you're up early." Noin's voice had a motherly, singsong quality about it. Always pleasant. "Not for work, I hope." Heero had tucked his communicator between his jaw and shoulder in order to tie his shoelaces. He paused briefly in response to her veiled accusation. "It is. I'm coming in." He straightened up, relinquished his device to one hand and reached for his jacket with the other. It was still damp.

"You're not allowed here today, Heero. Remember? We talked about this." He frowned. Even though Noin couldn't see his expression, she seemed to sense it. "A rest-day, at least once a week. You agreed to that. Take some time for yourself,"

"-I don't have anything to do." Heero stood in the entryway of his apartment, facing the door. His free arm hung dumbly against a cocked hip while his working shoulder surrendered to the nearest wall. The position nearly placed him at a 45 degree angle. He spoke lowly into the communicator, as if their conversation was some kind of secret. "Assign me a m-."

"-Rest. That is your mission today. We'll see you tomorrow. Dismissed." Heero held the communicator to his ear a moment after the line had dropped. He felt vaguely betrayed. Noin's voice was always pleasant, but there had been firmness in her final words. 'Dismissed.' An iron order wrapped in silk. Slowly, he lowered his device.

Rest.

He didn't expect to achieve any…and the first 45 minutes of his attempt threatened to prove that assumption right. 01 stared at the ceiling with one hand lazily draped over his chest and his legs sprawled beyond the edge of his mattress. Heero had no bed frame and so, the backs of his sneakers pressed against the floor of his apartment with their toes towards the light fixtures.

He was just wasting time comfortably for the better part of an hour. Fortunately, at 7:05, Heero's back relaxed against the comforter. He noticed a change in his breathing and made no attempt to fight it or the heaviness that was creeping into his limbs. He closed his eyes and swallowed in preparation of sleep. He could stand for a little more. It was going to feel good…he was ready.

…Then the music started.

noheero

It isn't Hard

Beep-Deet

Beep-Dee—

"This is Yuy."

"Heero, you're up early." Noin's voice had a motherly, singsong quality about it. Always pleasant. "Not for work, I hope." Heero had tucked his communicator between his jaw and shoulder in order to tie his shoelaces. He paused briefly in response to her veiled accusation. "It is. I'm coming in." He straightened up, relinquished his device to one hand and reached for his jacket with the other. It was still damp.

"You're not allowed here today, Heero. Remember? We talked about this." He frowned. Even though Noin couldn't see his expression, she seemed to sense it. "A rest-day, at least once a week. You agreed to that. Take some time for yourself,"

"-I don't have anything to do." Heero stood in the entryway of his apartment, facing the door. His free arm hung dumbly against a cocked hip while his working shoulder surrendered to the nearest wall. The position nearly placed him at a 45 degree angle. He spoke lowly into the communicator, as if their conversation was some kind of secret. "Assign me a m-."

"-Rest. That is your mission today. We'll see you tomorrow. Dismissed." Heero held the communicator to his ear a moment after the line had dropped. He felt vaguely betrayed. Noin's voice was always pleasant, but there had been firmness in her final words. 'Dismissed.' An iron order wrapped in silk. Slowly, he lowered his device.

Rest.

He didn't expect to achieve any…and the first 45 minutes of his attempt threatened to prove that assumption right. 01 stared at the ceiling with one hand lazily draped over his chest and his legs sprawled beyond the edge of his mattress. Heero had no bed frame and so, the backs of his sneakers pressed against the floor of his apartment with their toes towards the light fixtures.

He was just wasting time comfortably for the better part of an hour. Fortunately, at 7:05, Heero's back relaxed against the comforter. He noticed a change in his breathing and made no attempt to fight it or the heaviness that was creeping into his limbs. He closed his eyes and swallowed in preparation of sleep. He could stand for a little more. It was going to feel good…he was ready.

…Then the music started.

duoordie

The sun was barely starting to creep into view when Duo woke up. He was still tired, the vague desire to just keep holding still in the hopes that sleep would return was heavy on his eyelids… but he knew he had to get up. The lithe body ached to move, and so he rolled over with a groan, sleep numb fingers fumbling to grab the clock so he could see what time it was. Shortly before 7, which wasn't a surprise. Small pops came from his back as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head and standing on tip toe, a satisfied groan leaving thin lips. First things first, Duo went into the restroom to deal with biological needs. Afterwards he quickly brushed his hair before partially controlling it with an elastic tied loosely near the base of his neck. He'd braid it later, if the need arose. For now it was time for breakfast.

Bare feet padded quietly into the living room. The couch was still the main piece of furniture but another was now against the wall. He'd talked to Heero about it, though he didn't think his partner shared his interest. A beautifully restored music player stood on top of a cheap table. Most people just played music through their communicators now, but there was something Duo couldn't resist about this physical representation of music. You could see the speaker vibrate when you turned it up, it was like a tangible experience. He pressed the touch pad and quickly selected a classic tune, from before even this player's time. Guitar burst to life through the speakers, and the brunet couldn't stop but nodding his head along with the beat as he moved into the kitchen to begin heating a pan for a lackluster breakfast. His own voice sounded along with the vocalist. "There's no one like you! I can't wait for the nights with you, I imagine the things we'll do–"

Then the knocking came. A pounding at the door that shocked Duo out of his quest for food. Blue eyes regarded his door for a moment, curiosity evident in the way his eyebrows knit together. He didn't intend any company… never did. Maybe it was someone from the office? Thin fingers put the egg he was about to crack on the counter top. He sort of danced over to the door, an awkward movement mistimed to the music still playing. It was even more of a surprise to find Heero on the other side of his door with a particularly annoyed expression. "Oh, hey pal! I didn't know you knew my number." A sheepish smile came into place to try to cover his nerves. Duo suddenly felt embarrassed by his empty apartment, it was clean and comfortable to him… but not really made for company. "….want some breakfast?"

( watch?v=ZfNR98ajB1U)

noheero

Annoyance quickly turned to incredulity. Heero squinted. His mouth opened but no statement escaped. Whatever words he had been readying were interrupted anyhow, by an especially passionate guitar solo. His eyes darted towards source. Duo's unsuspecting radio could be glimpsed over his shoulder.

It was ironic that the offending tenant was a friend. Ironic, but not inconvenient. It meant that Heero could forgo the awkward process of negotiating noise restrictions with a stranger. He pushed his way into Duo's apartment. Not roughly, but with purpose. That purpose being, the silence of his stereo.

01 had fully intended to turn the device OFF, but as his finger hovered over its control screen, the song changed keys as if to plead. He stood above the sound system, listening to a softer call back to it's lyrics. Something in them eventually convinced him to turn the radio down, rather than off… although an accusatory finger still drew attention to it's dial as he turned back to Duo. "This is it's permanent setting." He hesitated before divulging, "I'm below you."

noheero

It isn't Hard

Beep-Deet

Beep-Dee—

"This is Yuy."

"Heero, you're up early." Noin's voice had a motherly, singsong quality about it. Always pleasant. "Not for work, I hope." Heero had tucked his communicator between his jaw and shoulder in order to tie his shoelaces. He paused briefly in response to her veiled accusation. "It is. I'm coming in." He straightened up, relinquished his device to one hand and reached for his jacket with the other. It was still damp.

"You're not allowed here today, Heero. Remember? We talked about this." He frowned. Even though Noin couldn't see his expression, she seemed to sense it. "A rest-day, at least once a week. You agreed to that. Take some time for yourself,"

"-I don't have anything to do." Heero stood in the entryway of his apartment, facing the door. His free arm hung dumbly against a cocked hip while his working shoulder surrendered to the nearest wall. The position nearly placed him at a 45 degree angle. He spoke lowly into the communicator, as if their conversation was some kind of secret. "Assign me a m-."

"-Rest. That is your mission today. We'll see you tomorrow. Dismissed." Heero held the communicator to his ear a moment after the line had dropped. He felt vaguely betrayed. Noin's voice was always pleasant, but there had been firmness in her final words. 'Dismissed.' An iron order wrapped in silk. Slowly, he lowered his device.

Rest.

He didn't expect to achieve any…and the first 45 minutes of his attempt threatened to prove that assumption right. 01 stared at the ceiling with one hand lazily draped over his chest and his legs sprawled beyond the edge of his mattress. Heero had no bed frame and so, the backs of his sneakers pressed against the floor of his apartment with their toes towards the light fixtures.

He was just wasting time comfortably for the better part of an hour. Fortunately, at 7:05, Heero's back relaxed against the comforter. He noticed a change in his breathing and made no attempt to fight it or the heaviness that was creeping into his limbs. He closed his eyes and swallowed in preparation of sleep. He could stand for a little more. It was going to feel good…he was ready.

…Then the music started.

duoordie

The sun was barely starting to creep into view when Duo woke up. He was still tired, the vague desire to just keep holding still in the hopes that sleep would return was heavy on his eyelids… but he knew he had to get up. The lithe body ached to move, and so he rolled over with a groan, sleep numb fingers fumbling to grab the clock so he could see what time it was. Shortly before 7, which wasn't a surprise. Small pops came from his back as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head and standing on tip toe, a satisfied groan leaving thin lips. First things first, Duo went into the restroom to deal with biological needs. Afterwards he quickly brushed his hair before partially controlling it with an elastic tied loosely near the base of his neck. He'd braid it later, if the need arose. For now it was time for breakfast.

Bare feet padded quietly into the living room. The couch was still the main piece of furniture but another was now against the wall. He'd talked to Heero about it, though he didn't think his partner shared his interest. A beautifully restored music player stood on top of a cheap table. Most people just played music through their communicators now, but there was something Duo couldn't resist about this physical representation of music. You could see the speaker vibrate when you turned it up, it was like a tangible experience. He pressed the touch pad and quickly selected a classic tune, from before even this player's time. Guitar burst to life through the speakers, and the brunet couldn't stop but nodding his head along with the beat as he moved into the kitchen to begin heating a pan for a lackluster breakfast. His own voice sounded along with the vocalist. "There's no one like you! I can't wait for the nights with you, I imagine the things we'll do–"

Then the knocking came. A pounding at the door that shocked Duo out of his quest for food. Blue eyes regarded his door for a moment, curiosity evident in the way his eyebrows knit together. He didn't intend any company… never did. Maybe it was someone from the office? Thin fingers put the egg he was about to crack on the counter top. He sort of danced over to the door, an awkward movement mistimed to the music still playing. It was even more of a surprise to find Heero on the other side of his door with a particularly annoyed expression. "Oh, hey pal! I didn't know you knew my number." A sheepish smile came into place to try to cover his nerves. Duo suddenly felt embarrassed by his empty apartment, it was clean and comfortable to him… but not really made for company. "….want some breakfast?"

( watch?v=ZfNR98ajB1U)

noheero

Annoyance quickly turned to incredulity. Heero squinted. His mouth opened but no statement escaped. Whatever words he had been readying were interrupted anyhow, by an especially passionate guitar solo. His eyes darted towards source. Duo's unsuspecting radio could be glimpsed over his shoulder.

It was ironic that the offending tenant was a friend. Ironic, but not inconvenient. It meant that Heero could forgo the awkward process of negotiating noise restrictions with a stranger. He pushed his way into Duo's apartment. Not roughly, but with purpose. That purpose being, the silence of his stereo.

01 had fully intended to turn the device OFF, but as his finger hovered over its control screen, the song changed keys as if to plead. He stood above the sound system, listening to a softer call back to it's lyrics. Something in them eventually convinced him to turn the radio down, rather than off… although an accusatory finger still drew attention to it's dial as he turned back to Duo. "This is it's permanent setting." He hesitated before divulging, "I'm below you."

duoordie

Duo stared at his unexpected company for a moment, before the other male literally pushed past him. Bare feet awkwardly backed up, managing to keep his balance as he was basically moved through rather than around. Dexterous fingers rubbed the remains of sleep from his eyes as Heero attempted to dominate his sound system. The volume was decreased without damage, and Duo was grateful. He was sure it was well within the other pilots abilities to just destroy the thing. Thin shoulders rose just a little as he couldn't escape the feeling of being scolded, lips pursing into a small frown. "Okay…" He agreed mostly because he didn't feel like fighting about it, it was early after all. Duo closed the door to his apartment, but did not lock it. "Since you're here anyways, let's eat." Long hair only loosely tied behind him swished as he returned to the kitchen. It was a narrow space, hardly big enough for two, and completely visible from the living room. There was no reason he should feel worried, but suddenly he felt like he wasn't wearing enough. Loose pajamas still decorated his form, a grey tank top hung from his shoulders combined with a small pair of black shorts. The pilots had lived in the same space for brief periods during the war, even changing together when it was needed. That was back when they were kids though, and now for some reason it felt different.

The pan was a bit too hot, sizzling angrily when Duo broke two eggs onto it's heated surface. Bread was lowered into the toaster. It would't be anything fancy, never was, but it served to fill the stomach. "How do you like your eggs?"

noheero

Heero's eyes did not divert as Duo returned to the kitchen. They followed him, instilling a sense of exposure - Rightly so. The musculature of 02's arms and back were on display. His ponytail swayed just above his boxers, which did little to hide the shape of his buttocks. Slim thighs. Oddly-graceful fingers. It was easy to see why the office coveted his sex life. It was easy to see how he'd crept into Heero's dream.

"I like all eggs." He would answer a bit distractedly, having forced his attention elsewhere. Duo's apartment was nicely decorated. Not a lot of furniture, but enough to make it seem like an intentional living space. "Nice couch." Heero commented while in the midst of sliding from his work jacket. It would be slung over the aforementioned sofa before he closed in on his partner's breakfast table. A single chair stood with its back towards the cooking area. Heero didn't claim it. He remained on his feet. About as lively and helpful as a houseplant.

noheero

It isn't Hard

Beep-Deet

Beep-Dee—

"This is Yuy."

"Heero, you're up early." Noin's voice had a motherly, singsong quality about it. Always pleasant. "Not for work, I hope." Heero had tucked his communicator between his jaw and shoulder in order to tie his shoelaces. He paused briefly in response to her veiled accusation. "It is. I'm coming in." He straightened up, relinquished his device to one hand and reached for his jacket with the other. It was still damp.

"You're not allowed here today, Heero. Remember? We talked about this." He frowned. Even though Noin couldn't see his expression, she seemed to sense it. "A rest-day, at least once a week. You agreed to that. Take some time for yourself,"

"-I don't have anything to do." Heero stood in the entryway of his apartment, facing the door. His free arm hung dumbly against a cocked hip while his working shoulder surrendered to the nearest wall. The position nearly placed him at a 45 degree angle. He spoke lowly into the communicator, as if their conversation was some kind of secret. "Assign me a m-."

"-Rest. That is your mission today. We'll see you tomorrow. Dismissed." Heero held the communicator to his ear a moment after the line had dropped. He felt vaguely betrayed. Noin's voice was always pleasant, but there had been firmness in her final words. 'Dismissed.' An iron order wrapped in silk. Slowly, he lowered his device.

Rest.

He didn't expect to achieve any…and the first 45 minutes of his attempt threatened to prove that assumption right. 01 stared at the ceiling with one hand lazily draped over his chest and his legs sprawled beyond the edge of his mattress. Heero had no bed frame and so, the backs of his sneakers pressed against the floor of his apartment with their toes towards the light fixtures.

He was just wasting time comfortably for the better part of an hour. Fortunately, at 7:05, Heero's back relaxed against the comforter. He noticed a change in his breathing and made no attempt to fight it or the heaviness that was creeping into his limbs. He closed his eyes and swallowed in preparation of sleep. He could stand for a little more. It was going to feel good…he was ready.

…Then the music started.

duoordie

The sun was barely starting to creep into view when Duo woke up. He was still tired, the vague desire to just keep holding still in the hopes that sleep would return was heavy on his eyelids… but he knew he had to get up. The lithe body ached to move, and so he rolled over with a groan, sleep numb fingers fumbling to grab the clock so he could see what time it was. Shortly before 7, which wasn't a surprise. Small pops came from his back as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head and standing on tip toe, a satisfied groan leaving thin lips. First things first, Duo went into the restroom to deal with biological needs. Afterwards he quickly brushed his hair before partially controlling it with an elastic tied loosely near the base of his neck. He'd braid it later, if the need arose. For now it was time for breakfast.

Bare feet padded quietly into the living room. The couch was still the main piece of furniture but another was now against the wall. He'd talked to Heero about it, though he didn't think his partner shared his interest. A beautifully restored music player stood on top of a cheap table. Most people just played music through their communicators now, but there was something Duo couldn't resist about this physical representation of music. You could see the speaker vibrate when you turned it up, it was like a tangible experience. He pressed the touch pad and quickly selected a classic tune, from before even this player's time. Guitar burst to life through the speakers, and the brunet couldn't stop but nodding his head along with the beat as he moved into the kitchen to begin heating a pan for a lackluster breakfast. His own voice sounded along with the vocalist. "There's no one like you! I can't wait for the nights with you, I imagine the things we'll do–"

Then the knocking came. A pounding at the door that shocked Duo out of his quest for food. Blue eyes regarded his door for a moment, curiosity evident in the way his eyebrows knit together. He didn't intend any company… never did. Maybe it was someone from the office? Thin fingers put the egg he was about to crack on the counter top. He sort of danced over to the door, an awkward movement mistimed to the music still playing. It was even more of a surprise to find Heero on the other side of his door with a particularly annoyed expression. "Oh, hey pal! I didn't know you knew my number." A sheepish smile came into place to try to cover his nerves. Duo suddenly felt embarrassed by his empty apartment, it was clean and comfortable to him… but not really made for company. "….want some breakfast?"

( watch?v=ZfNR98ajB1U)

noheero

Annoyance quickly turned to incredulity. Heero squinted. His mouth opened but no statement escaped. Whatever words he had been readying were interrupted anyhow, by an especially passionate guitar solo. His eyes darted towards source. Duo's unsuspecting radio could be glimpsed over his shoulder.

It was ironic that the offending tenant was a friend. Ironic, but not inconvenient. It meant that Heero could forgo the awkward process of negotiating noise restrictions with a stranger. He pushed his way into Duo's apartment. Not roughly, but with purpose. That purpose being, the silence of his stereo.

01 had fully intended to turn the device OFF, but as his finger hovered over its control screen, the song changed keys as if to plead. He stood above the sound system, listening to a softer call back to it's lyrics. Something in them eventually convinced him to turn the radio down, rather than off… although an accusatory finger still drew attention to it's dial as he turned back to Duo. "This is it's permanent setting." He hesitated before divulging, "I'm below you."

duoordie

Duo stared at his unexpected company for a moment, before the other male literally pushed past him. Bare feet awkwardly backed up, managing to keep his balance as he was basically moved through rather than around. Dexterous fingers rubbed the remains of sleep from his eyes as Heero attempted to dominate his sound system. The volume was decreased without damage, and Duo was grateful. He was sure it was well within the other pilots abilities to just destroy the thing. Thin shoulders rose just a little as he couldn't escape the feeling of being scolded, lips pursing into a small frown. "Okay…" He agreed mostly because he didn't feel like fighting about it, it was early after all. Duo closed the door to his apartment, but did not lock it. "Since you're here anyways, let's eat." Long hair only loosely tied behind him swished as he returned to the kitchen. It was a narrow space, hardly big enough for two, and completely visible from the living room. There was no reason he should feel worried, but suddenly he felt like he wasn't wearing enough. Loose pajamas still decorated his form, a grey tank top hung from his shoulders combined with a small pair of black shorts. The pilots had lived in the same space for brief periods during the war, even changing together when it was needed. That was back when they were kids though, and now for some reason it felt different.

The pan was a bit too hot, sizzling angrily when Duo broke two eggs onto it's heated surface. Bread was lowered into the toaster. It would't be anything fancy, never was, but it served to fill the stomach. "How do you like your eggs?"

noheero

Heero's eyes did not divert as Duo returned to the kitchen. They followed him, instilling a sense of exposure - Rightly so. The musculature of 02's arms and back were on display. His ponytail swayed just above his boxers, which did little to hide the shape of his buttocks. Slim thighs. Oddly-graceful fingers. It was easy to see why the office coveted his sex life. It was easy to see how he'd crept into Heero's dream.

"I like all eggs." He would answer a bit distractedly, having forced his attention elsewhere. Duo's apartment was nicely decorated. Not a lot of furniture, but enough to make it seem like an intentional living space. "Nice couch." Heero commented while in the midst of sliding from his work jacket. It would be slung over the aforementioned sofa before he closed in on his partner's breakfast table. A single chair stood with its back towards the cooking area. Heero didn't claim it. He remained on his feet. About as lively and helpful as a houseplant.

duoordie

The eggs were flipped quickly, a small exclamation of victory leaving Duo as both yokes stayed intact. "You can blame Quatre for that. He got very mad when he heard I didn't have a couch. Went on and on about how it wasn't a decent place without a couch. You'd've thought it was a personal offense." A small amount of pepper and then cheese was put over the top of the quickly cooking eggs, before returning both objects to their assigned places. Slim hips closed the refrigerator door with a bump as ever-moving hands quickly collected two plates. First the toast, just popped and still hot to the touch, and then an egg on top of each.

There was a pause there, as deep blue eyes surveyed his work. The table and chair were another thing he had picked up out of obligation. They had been sitting road side, with a paper taped to it explaining "FREE" in huge block letters that somehow were still barely legible. Usually he just ate standing on front of the counter. A nervous glance passed quickly over his single chair, a wash of uncharacteristic embarrassment flashing through his mind. "I don't really get company." The plates and a set of forks were quickly picked up, Duo moved back into the living room and held one of the dishes out to his partner. His words were uttered quickly, as though they explained everything. "Don't expect anything great."

noheero

Duo wasn't up against any preexisting expectations. Company didn't seem like such an ordinary thing to have…and the food's flavor was it's least important attribute. The fact that Duo's breakfast was good would play as an unexpected bonus. Heero took a seat beside his host while cramming a large corner of toast into his mouth.

The radio hummed from it's side of the room. More guitar paired with rebellious wailing. The morning sun aligned with Duo's blinds as they ate. By the time Heero had finished sweeping the last smear of yolk onto his bread, sunlight had settled across 02's carpet in prison-bar-patterns.

All at once, Yuy realized he was comfortable, full and growing warm in a very serene room. His host was still busy with his food, oblivious to the compliments of their surroundings. The edges of his hair had been caught by streaks of sun that pulled their red undertones into the open. They were glowing. His skin had taken on a golden tint.

noheero

It isn't Hard

Beep-Deet

Beep-Dee—

"This is Yuy."

"Heero, you're up early." Noin's voice had a motherly, singsong quality about it. Always pleasant. "Not for work, I hope." Heero had tucked his communicator between his jaw and shoulder in order to tie his shoelaces. He paused briefly in response to her veiled accusation. "It is. I'm coming in." He straightened up, relinquished his device to one hand and reached for his jacket with the other. It was still damp.

"You're not allowed here today, Heero. Remember? We talked about this." He frowned. Even though Noin couldn't see his expression, she seemed to sense it. "A rest-day, at least once a week. You agreed to that. Take some time for yourself,"

"-I don't have anything to do." Heero stood in the entryway of his apartment, facing the door. His free arm hung dumbly against a cocked hip while his working shoulder surrendered to the nearest wall. The position nearly placed him at a 45 degree angle. He spoke lowly into the communicator, as if their conversation was some kind of secret. "Assign me a m-."

"-Rest. That is your mission today. We'll see you tomorrow. Dismissed." Heero held the communicator to his ear a moment after the line had dropped. He felt vaguely betrayed. Noin's voice was always pleasant, but there had been firmness in her final words. 'Dismissed.' An iron order wrapped in silk. Slowly, he lowered his device.

Rest.

He didn't expect to achieve any…and the first 45 minutes of his attempt threatened to prove that assumption right. 01 stared at the ceiling with one hand lazily draped over his chest and his legs sprawled beyond the edge of his mattress. Heero had no bed frame and so, the backs of his sneakers pressed against the floor of his apartment with their toes towards the light fixtures.

He was just wasting time comfortably for the better part of an hour. Fortunately, at 7:05, Heero's back relaxed against the comforter. He noticed a change in his breathing and made no attempt to fight it or the heaviness that was creeping into his limbs. He closed his eyes and swallowed in preparation of sleep. He could stand for a little more. It was going to feel good…he was ready.

…Then the music started.

duoordie

The sun was barely starting to creep into view when Duo woke up. He was still tired, the vague desire to just keep holding still in the hopes that sleep would return was heavy on his eyelids… but he knew he had to get up. The lithe body ached to move, and so he rolled over with a groan, sleep numb fingers fumbling to grab the clock so he could see what time it was. Shortly before 7, which wasn't a surprise. Small pops came from his back as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head and standing on tip toe, a satisfied groan leaving thin lips. First things first, Duo went into the restroom to deal with biological needs. Afterwards he quickly brushed his hair before partially controlling it with an elastic tied loosely near the base of his neck. He'd braid it later, if the need arose. For now it was time for breakfast.

Bare feet padded quietly into the living room. The couch was still the main piece of furniture but another was now against the wall. He'd talked to Heero about it, though he didn't think his partner shared his interest. A beautifully restored music player stood on top of a cheap table. Most people just played music through their communicators now, but there was something Duo couldn't resist about this physical representation of music. You could see the speaker vibrate when you turned it up, it was like a tangible experience. He pressed the touch pad and quickly selected a classic tune, from before even this player's time. Guitar burst to life through the speakers, and the brunet couldn't stop but nodding his head along with the beat as he moved into the kitchen to begin heating a pan for a lackluster breakfast. His own voice sounded along with the vocalist. "There's no one like you! I can't wait for the nights with you, I imagine the things we'll do–"

Then the knocking came. A pounding at the door that shocked Duo out of his quest for food. Blue eyes regarded his door for a moment, curiosity evident in the way his eyebrows knit together. He didn't intend any company… never did. Maybe it was someone from the office? Thin fingers put the egg he was about to crack on the counter top. He sort of danced over to the door, an awkward movement mistimed to the music still playing. It was even more of a surprise to find Heero on the other side of his door with a particularly annoyed expression. "Oh, hey pal! I didn't know you knew my number." A sheepish smile came into place to try to cover his nerves. Duo suddenly felt embarrassed by his empty apartment, it was clean and comfortable to him… but not really made for company. "….want some breakfast?"

( watch?v=ZfNR98ajB1U)

noheero

Annoyance quickly turned to incredulity. Heero squinted. His mouth opened but no statement escaped. Whatever words he had been readying were interrupted anyhow, by an especially passionate guitar solo. His eyes darted towards source. Duo's unsuspecting radio could be glimpsed over his shoulder.

It was ironic that the offending tenant was a friend. Ironic, but not inconvenient. It meant that Heero could forgo the awkward process of negotiating noise restrictions with a stranger. He pushed his way into Duo's apartment. Not roughly, but with purpose. That purpose being, the silence of his stereo.

01 had fully intended to turn the device OFF, but as his finger hovered over its control screen, the song changed keys as if to plead. He stood above the sound system, listening to a softer call back to it's lyrics. Something in them eventually convinced him to turn the radio down, rather than off… although an accusatory finger still drew attention to it's dial as he turned back to Duo. "This is it's permanent setting." He hesitated before divulging, "I'm below you."

duoordie

Duo stared at his unexpected company for a moment, before the other male literally pushed past him. Bare feet awkwardly backed up, managing to keep his balance as he was basically moved through rather than around. Dexterous fingers rubbed the remains of sleep from his eyes as Heero attempted to dominate his sound system. The volume was decreased without damage, and Duo was grateful. He was sure it was well within the other pilots abilities to just destroy the thing. Thin shoulders rose just a little as he couldn't escape the feeling of being scolded, lips pursing into a small frown. "Okay…" He agreed mostly because he didn't feel like fighting about it, it was early after all. Duo closed the door to his apartment, but did not lock it. "Since you're here anyways, let's eat." Long hair only loosely tied behind him swished as he returned to the kitchen. It was a narrow space, hardly big enough for two, and completely visible from the living room. There was no reason he should feel worried, but suddenly he felt like he wasn't wearing enough. Loose pajamas still decorated his form, a grey tank top hung from his shoulders combined with a small pair of black shorts. The pilots had lived in the same space for brief periods during the war, even changing together when it was needed. That was back when they were kids though, and now for some reason it felt different.

The pan was a bit too hot, sizzling angrily when Duo broke two eggs onto it's heated surface. Bread was lowered into the toaster. It would't be anything fancy, never was, but it served to fill the stomach. "How do you like your eggs?"

noheero

Heero's eyes did not divert as Duo returned to the kitchen. They followed him, instilling a sense of exposure - Rightly so. The musculature of 02's arms and back were on display. His ponytail swayed just above his boxers, which did little to hide the shape of his buttocks. Slim thighs. Oddly-graceful fingers. It was easy to see why the office coveted his sex life. It was easy to see how he'd crept into Heero's dream.

"I like all eggs." He would answer a bit distractedly, having forced his attention elsewhere. Duo's apartment was nicely decorated. Not a lot of furniture, but enough to make it seem like an intentional living space. "Nice couch." Heero commented while in the midst of sliding from his work jacket. It would be slung over the aforementioned sofa before he closed in on his partner's breakfast table. A single chair stood with its back towards the cooking area. Heero didn't claim it. He remained on his feet. About as lively and helpful as a houseplant.

duoordie

The eggs were flipped quickly, a small exclamation of victory leaving Duo as both yokes stayed intact. "You can blame Quatre for that. He got very mad when he heard I didn't have a couch. Went on and on about how it wasn't a decent place without a couch. You'd've thought it was a personal offense." A small amount of pepper and then cheese was put over the top of the quickly cooking eggs, before returning both objects to their assigned places. Slim hips closed the refrigerator door with a bump as ever-moving hands quickly collected two plates. First the toast, just popped and still hot to the touch, and then an egg on top of each.

There was a pause there, as deep blue eyes surveyed his work. The table and chair were another thing he had picked up out of obligation. They had been sitting road side, with a paper taped to it explaining "FREE" in huge block letters that somehow were still barely legible. Usually he just ate standing on front of the counter. A nervous glance passed quickly over his single chair, a wash of uncharacteristic embarrassment flashing through his mind. "I don't really get company." The plates and a set of forks were quickly picked up, Duo moved back into the living room and held one of the dishes out to his partner. His words were uttered quickly, as though they explained everything. "Don't expect anything great."

noheero

Duo wasn't up against any preexisting expectations. Company didn't seem like such an ordinary thing to have…and the food's flavor was it's least important attribute. The fact that Duo's breakfast was good would play as an unexpected bonus. Heero took a seat beside his host while cramming a large corner of toast into his mouth.

The radio hummed from it's side of the room. More guitar paired with rebellious wailing. The morning sun aligned with Duo's blinds as they ate. By the time Heero had finished sweeping the last smear of yolk onto his bread, sunlight had settled across 02's carpet in prison-bar-patterns.

All at once, Yuy realized he was comfortable, full and growing warm in a very serene room. His host was still busy with his food, oblivious to the compliments of their surroundings. The edges of his hair had been caught by streaks of sun that pulled their red undertones into the open. They were glowing. His skin had taken on a golden tint.

duoordie

A small questioning look painted itself across Duo's face before he finally moved and took a seat on the couch, intending to leave the chair available for Heero's use. He was pleasantly surprised when his fellow preventer joined him on the couch instead. Duo sat cross legged, pulling bare feet off the cold floor as soon as he was able. Attempted conversation died as the act of eating took over. The music playing in the background kept an amiable feeling circulating. Dark eyes strayed over his partner, looking for any sign of discomfort though he knew he would find none. Heero was far to skilled at hiding behind that placid visage of his. Thin fingers stopped suddenly, the remaining section of his piece of toast half way into his mouth and yet his teeth did not come down. "…hey…" The remainder of the youths breakfast returned to the plate. "I'm the guy above you!" An incredulous expression raised Duo's eyebrows. "I'll have you know I dance just fine!" But he couldn't hide the smile at the edges of his mouth for long.

noheero

"Whatever you say, pal." Heero had endured Duo's realization with a deadpan expression. He would surrender only a thin twitch of humor in response to the other's laughter. 02's barks were as good as a confession. He couldn't dance…and he knew it. "I said before, I'm the guy below you. You probably didn't hear me because you've damaged your ears."

"That's why I'm here. The volume is how I found your apartment." His flat tone could have easily come across as insulting (or as the prequel to a lecture.) The only thing that rescued Duo from this impression was the gleam in Heero's eyes. He was amused; very amused because, of all the doors and all the people occupying their building, Duo Maxwell had been the culprit. And he'd accepted his coworkers intrusion like a planned event. "You didn't think I just came by for eggs."

Right?

It isn't Hard

A huff escaped from Heero's nose. It was accompanied by a wry pull of lips and a shrug of his shoulders -almost a chuckle, but not quite. He'd never been able to determine if Duo was truly absentminded or if he just liked to feign stupidity for a laugh.

Probably the latter.

Maxwell habitually wiped his mouth for crumbs before reaching out to take his guest's plate. He waited for it's surrender with an open hand and an easy smile. Heero obliged. His cobalt eyes dropped to the task. They sank a little lower after Duo's thumb had ensured a secure hold over their dishes.

Duo's boxers were thin. They did a poor job of hiding his shape. It was easy to make out the masculine curvature tucked to his inner thigh. Heero's gaze lingered there a moment before noting folded legs. Eventually, he drew his eyes slowly up the other's ribcage. Most of it had been left exposed by a too-loose tank top.

Yuy's observation would end by resettling on his targets face. His gaze had returned as calmly as it had left; misleadingly vacant to spite the lascivious route it has just taken.

noheero

It isn't Hard

A huff escaped from Heero's nose. It was accompanied by a wry pull of lips and a shrug of his shoulders -almost a chuckle, but not quite. He'd never been able to determine if Duo was truly absentminded or if he just liked to feign stupidity for a laugh.

Probably the latter.

Maxwell habitually wiped his mouth for crumbs before reaching out to take his guest's plate. He waited for it's surrender with an open hand and an easy smile. Heero obliged. His cobalt eyes dropped to the task. They sank a little lower after Duo's thumb had ensured a secure hold over their dishes.

Duo's boxers were thin. They did a poor job of hiding his shape. It was easy to make out the masculine curvature tucked to his inner thigh. Heero's gaze lingered there a moment before noting folded legs. Eventually, he drew his eyes slowly up the other's ribcage. Most of it had been left exposed by a too-loose tank top.

Yuy's observation would end by resettling on his targets face. His gaze had returned as calmly as it had left; misleadingly vacant to spite the lascivious route it has just taken.

duoordie

Duo swallowed down the remains of his breakfast, a comfortable warm sensation settling in his stomach. "Here, le'me take your plate." Thin fingers reached out to grab his partner's dish, Heero was his guest at the moment and the pajama clad brunet had every intention if being as good of a host as he knew how. As he braced himself to rise, there was a sudden feeling of being inspected that caused him to freeze. Duo watched Heero examine him, watched those slate blue eyes settle first on his groin, only to casually float over the rest of his exposed flesh. Was Heero… checking him out? If only for the practically blank expression on his partner's face, he would have thought that was what it was. An unmistakable heat burned across Duo's face, even though he internally chided himself that his stoic companion was more that likely criticizing his physical state out of some notion of quantifying his readiness for a mission. "I'm uh…" His usually confident voice wavered with an uncharacteristic note of embarrassment, before he swallowed thickly and finally rose to his feet. "Just gonna put the plates away." He turned quickly, the tips of his barely restrained hair tickling the backs of his thighs as he did so, before the lithe form retreated to the kitchen. Duo knew he was still visible from the couch, but somehow the meager distance felt like it gave him enough space to collect himself.

Dexterous hands quickly rinsed the dishes before laying them into the auto-wash for later. Duo couldn't deny his quick beating heart, even as he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He knew it was foolish to think Heero would ever look at him in any way other than professional… he'd never considered the possibility. Violet eyes stared at the metal of his sink for a moment, as though trying to collect some of that steel quality into himself before returning to the livingroom. It felt strange to think about being in that sort of situation with Heero… suddenly his more than comfortable pajamas seemed inappropriate, yet he knew it would be weird to suddenly excuse himself to his bedroom for clothing that offered more coverage. A moment of stubborness shot though him, and Duo shook his head. It was his apartment and he could wear whatever he liked. Yet he still lingered in the kitchen.

noheero

They had showered together beneath cold water. They had struggled into stolen uniforms while standing back to back and had slept close enough to feel one another's body heat while imprisoned in metal cells. Nudity wasn't a new factor in their friendship; however the circumstances of nudity had changed.

During the war, Death had loomed over them in cramped locker rooms and moldy shower stalls, rendering momentary exposure irrelevant. Now, Death was no longer a viable distraction. Heero could see Duo, perhaps for the first time, and was reaching the conclusion that he didn't want to unsee him.

He watched his partner cross from the sofa to the sink; watched the way Duo's lower back lead the sway of his buttocks and the way his hair trickled downwards like a chestnut-colored curtain. He noted the rushed way in which Duo's hands moved over their dishes and the thick sheen of soap bubbles that pooled between his working fingers. He observed that, even though their plates had been thoroughly scrubbed and loaded, Maxwell was procrastinating his return to the couch.

The shift in atmosphere seemed to warrant an explanation. Heero provided one for his stare, but lacked the decency to avert it. "Had a dream with you in it."

noheero

It isn't Hard

A huff escaped from Heero's nose. It was accompanied by a wry pull of lips and a shrug of his shoulders -almost a chuckle, but not quite. He'd never been able to determine if Duo was truly absentminded or if he just liked to feign stupidity for a laugh.

Probably the latter.

Maxwell habitually wiped his mouth for crumbs before reaching out to take his guest's plate. He waited for it's surrender with an open hand and an easy smile. Heero obliged. His cobalt eyes dropped to the task. They sank a little lower after Duo's thumb had ensured a secure hold over their dishes.

Duo's boxers were thin. They did a poor job of hiding his shape. It was easy to make out the masculine curvature tucked to his inner thigh. Heero's gaze lingered there a moment before noting folded legs. Eventually, he drew his eyes slowly up the other's ribcage. Most of it had been left exposed by a too-loose tank top.

Yuy's observation would end by resettling on his targets face. His gaze had returned as calmly as it had left; misleadingly vacant to spite the lascivious route it has just taken.

duoordie

Duo swallowed down the remains of his breakfast, a comfortable warm sensation settling in his stomach. "Here, le'me take your plate." Thin fingers reached out to grab his partner's dish, Heero was his guest at the moment and the pajama clad brunet had every intention if being as good of a host as he knew how. As he braced himself to rise, there was a sudden feeling of being inspected that caused him to freeze. Duo watched Heero examine him, watched those slate blue eyes settle first on his groin, only to casually float over the rest of his exposed flesh. Was Heero… checking him out? If only for the practically blank expression on his partner's face, he would have thought that was what it was. An unmistakable heat burned across Duo's face, even though he internally chided himself that his stoic companion was more that likely criticizing his physical state out of some notion of quantifying his readiness for a mission. "I'm uh…" His usually confident voice wavered with an uncharacteristic note of embarrassment, before he swallowed thickly and finally rose to his feet. "Just gonna put the plates away." He turned quickly, the tips of his barely restrained hair tickling the backs of his thighs as he did so, before the lithe form retreated to the kitchen. Duo knew he was still visible from the couch, but somehow the meager distance felt like it gave him enough space to collect himself.

Dexterous hands quickly rinsed the dishes before laying them into the auto-wash for later. Duo couldn't deny his quick beating heart, even as he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He knew it was foolish to think Heero would ever look at him in any way other than professional… he'd never considered the possibility. Violet eyes stared at the metal of his sink for a moment, as though trying to collect some of that steel quality into himself before returning to the livingroom. It felt strange to think about being in that sort of situation with Heero… suddenly his more than comfortable pajamas seemed inappropriate, yet he knew it would be weird to suddenly excuse himself to his bedroom for clothing that offered more coverage. A moment of stubborness shot though him, and Duo shook his head. It was his apartment and he could wear whatever he liked. Yet he still lingered in the kitchen.

noheero

They had showered together beneath cold water. They had struggled into stolen uniforms while standing back to back and had slept close enough to feel one another's body heat while imprisoned in metal cells. Nudity wasn't a new factor in their friendship; however the circumstances of nudity had changed.

During the war, Death had loomed over them in cramped locker rooms and moldy shower stalls, rendering momentary exposure irrelevant. Now, Death was no longer a viable distraction. Heero could see Duo, perhaps for the first time, and was reaching the conclusion that he didn't want to unsee him.

He watched his partner cross from the sofa to the sink; watched the way Duo's lower back lead the sway of his buttocks and the way his hair trickled downwards like a chestnut-colored curtain. He noted the rushed way in which Duo's hands moved over their dishes and the thick sheen of soap bubbles that pooled between his working fingers. He observed that, even though their plates had been thoroughly scrubbed and loaded, Maxwell was procrastinating his return to the couch.

The shift in atmosphere seemed to warrant an explanation. Heero provided one for his stare, but lacked the decency to avert it. "Had a dream with you in it."

duoordie

Heero's voice shocked Duo out of his thoughts. There was no point in idle speculation, especially when it came to his partner. He shook his head again, feeling his hair swoosh against his back as though the errant thoughts could be removed like dust. He quickly dried off his hands on a nearby towel, before he finally moved back into the livingroom. He was used to the force of Heero's stare, an unwavering gaze that always seemed to be looking for more details and information that Duo's bared skin could currently offer. "Yeah?" A current of excitement and curiosity evidant in his tone and the long haired brunet plopped down on his couch. His movement held an unneeded dramatic bent, as though that would somehow distract from the heat still evident on his cheeks. "Was I doing something cool?" An easy smile accompanied the words.

noheero

Heero's brows briefly pulled together. They displayed something between contemplation and confusion. He wasn't sure how to convey what he'd dreamt. 'Cool' didn't seem to be the right descriptor, though. There was a long pause before 01 opted for charades.

Heero reached behind his back to mime the draw of a gun. The motion was so practiced that his hand appeared heavier when it re-emerged. He had formed a barrell with his index and middle finger, which would be aimed directly at his partner's face with a disturbing amount of sincerity.

Heero moved forward, pressing his fingertips sternly against Duo's mouth before a wall of stunned silence could be erected between them. 02's lips were softer than he'd expected - warmer and slightly parted by impending speech.

noheero

It isn't Hard

A huff escaped from Heero's nose. It was accompanied by a wry pull of lips and a shrug of his shoulders -almost a chuckle, but not quite. He'd never been able to determine if Duo was truly absentminded or if he just liked to feign stupidity for a laugh.

Probably the latter.

Maxwell habitually wiped his mouth for crumbs before reaching out to take his guest's plate. He waited for it's surrender with an open hand and an easy smile. Heero obliged. His cobalt eyes dropped to the task. They sank a little lower after Duo's thumb had ensured a secure hold over their dishes.

Duo's boxers were thin. They did a poor job of hiding his shape. It was easy to make out the masculine curvature tucked to his inner thigh. Heero's gaze lingered there a moment before noting folded legs. Eventually, he drew his eyes slowly up the other's ribcage. Most of it had been left exposed by a too-loose tank top.

Yuy's observation would end by resettling on his targets face. His gaze had returned as calmly as it had left; misleadingly vacant to spite the lascivious route it has just taken.

duoordie

Duo swallowed down the remains of his breakfast, a comfortable warm sensation settling in his stomach. "Here, le'me take your plate." Thin fingers reached out to grab his partner's dish, Heero was his guest at the moment and the pajama clad brunet had every intention if being as good of a host as he knew how. As he braced himself to rise, there was a sudden feeling of being inspected that caused him to freeze. Duo watched Heero examine him, watched those slate blue eyes settle first on his groin, only to casually float over the rest of his exposed flesh. Was Heero… checking him out? If only for the practically blank expression on his partner's face, he would have thought that was what it was. An unmistakable heat burned across Duo's face, even though he internally chided himself that his stoic companion was more that likely criticizing his physical state out of some notion of quantifying his readiness for a mission. "I'm uh…" His usually confident voice wavered with an uncharacteristic note of embarrassment, before he swallowed thickly and finally rose to his feet. "Just gonna put the plates away." He turned quickly, the tips of his barely restrained hair tickling the backs of his thighs as he did so, before the lithe form retreated to the kitchen. Duo knew he was still visible from the couch, but somehow the meager distance felt like it gave him enough space to collect himself.

Dexterous hands quickly rinsed the dishes before laying them into the auto-wash for later. Duo couldn't deny his quick beating heart, even as he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He knew it was foolish to think Heero would ever look at him in any way other than professional… he'd never considered the possibility. Violet eyes stared at the metal of his sink for a moment, as though trying to collect some of that steel quality into himself before returning to the livingroom. It felt strange to think about being in that sort of situation with Heero… suddenly his more than comfortable pajamas seemed inappropriate, yet he knew it would be weird to suddenly excuse himself to his bedroom for clothing that offered more coverage. A moment of stubborness shot though him, and Duo shook his head. It was his apartment and he could wear whatever he liked. Yet he still lingered in the kitchen.

noheero

They had showered together beneath cold water. They had struggled into stolen uniforms while standing back to back and had slept close enough to feel one another's body heat while imprisoned in metal cells. Nudity wasn't a new factor in their friendship; however the circumstances of nudity had changed.

During the war, Death had loomed over them in cramped locker rooms and moldy shower stalls, rendering momentary exposure irrelevant. Now, Death was no longer a viable distraction. Heero could see Duo, perhaps for the first time, and was reaching the conclusion that he didn't want to unsee him.

He watched his partner cross from the sofa to the sink; watched the way Duo's lower back lead the sway of his buttocks and the way his hair trickled downwards like a chestnut-colored curtain. He noted the rushed way in which Duo's hands moved over their dishes and the thick sheen of soap bubbles that pooled between his working fingers. He observed that, even though their plates had been thoroughly scrubbed and loaded, Maxwell was procrastinating his return to the couch.

The shift in atmosphere seemed to warrant an explanation. Heero provided one for his stare, but lacked the decency to avert it. "Had a dream with you in it."

duoordie

Heero's voice shocked Duo out of his thoughts. There was no point in idle speculation, especially when it came to his partner. He shook his head again, feeling his hair swoosh against his back as though the errant thoughts could be removed like dust. He quickly dried off his hands on a nearby towel, before he finally moved back into the livingroom. He was used to the force of Heero's stare, an unwavering gaze that always seemed to be looking for more details and information that Duo's bared skin could currently offer. "Yeah?" A current of excitement and curiosity evidant in his tone and the long haired brunet plopped down on his couch. His movement held an unneeded dramatic bent, as though that would somehow distract from the heat still evident on his cheeks. "Was I doing something cool?" An easy smile accompanied the words.

noheero

Heero's brows briefly pulled together. They displayed something between contemplation and confusion. He wasn't sure how to convey what he'd dreamt. 'Cool' didn't seem to be the right descriptor, though. There was a long pause before 01 opted for charades.

Heero reached behind his back to mime the draw of a gun. The motion was so practiced that his hand appeared heavier when it re-emerged. He had formed a barrell with his index and middle finger, which would be aimed directly at his partner's face with a disturbing amount of sincerity.

Heero moved forward, pressing his fingertips sternly against Duo's mouth before a wall of stunned silence could be erected between them. 02's lips were softer than he'd expected - warmer and slightly parted by impending speech.

duoordie

An attentive expression was painted on Duo's face as he watched his partner. Heero never seemed like the type to hesitate, but he was surprisingly thoughtful. As partners, that particular expression had become familiar. Usually it meant the messy haired brunet was trying very hard to find the right words… but action was a more familiar language to both of them.

Duo wouldn't admit it but watching Heero pantomime drawing a gun, just for a moment, his mind supplied the image of a weapon and a small spark of fear lit in his stomach. It faded quickly, as his partner pointed two fingers at him, a child's rendition of death. The stoic pilot's motion was deadly smooth, even without the presence of a real firearm. It was convincing in a strange way. The music faded as Heero moved forward, a serious expression on his face. Duo felt captive to eye contact, unable to look away as the other male moved closer to him, his partners hand still holding the shape of a gun.

Warm fingers made contact with his lips, a soft pressure. Duo felt a completely childish impulse of his own and quickly stuck out his tongue. The wet muscle greeted the digits as they pressed against his mouth. With anyone else, it would have been funny. Like when he and the other orphans would run around L2, someone would clamp their hand across your mouth and you'd lick. There would be an exclamation of disgust, someone would say 'ew!' or 'gross!' but everyone would laugh.

Instead, Duo was greeted with Heero's unwavering gaze. A ghost taste of their breakfast lingered on the others outstretched digits, a touch of salt and oil. Still, Heero didn't move.

noheero

Duo appeared calm. Even as his teeth unclamped to surrender against foreign fingers, his eyebrows boasted a daring disposition. His lavender gaze reflected interest, rather than bewilderment. This was a game he was willing to play; a game he intended to win.

His tongue would turn the tables completely, just as it had in Heero's dream. It slipped forward like a pink flower petal to negate the other's threat. Heero remained stationary, as Heero had been known to do. He refused to give more than a sharp blink in response to his moistened digits.

Then, the heat of his comrade's mouth assaulted the underside his 'weapon'. Breath tickled over the top of his thumb and journeyed towards his wrist. He couldn't help but swallow as Duo opened his mouth to invite further contact. He couldn't help but accept the invitation.

Heero slowly pressed into the depths of his partner and followed though by tracing the roof of Duo's mouth back towards pearly teeth. He did so with the edge of his index finger, barely stroking while in retreat. His knuckles were gentle scraped between upper and lower incisors.

noheero

It isn't Hard

A huff escaped from Heero's nose. It was accompanied by a wry pull of lips and a shrug of his shoulders -almost a chuckle, but not quite. He'd never been able to determine if Duo was truly absentminded or if he just liked to feign stupidity for a laugh.

Probably the latter.

Maxwell habitually wiped his mouth for crumbs before reaching out to take his guest's plate. He waited for it's surrender with an open hand and an easy smile. Heero obliged. His cobalt eyes dropped to the task. They sank a little lower after Duo's thumb had ensured a secure hold over their dishes.

Duo's boxers were thin. They did a poor job of hiding his shape. It was easy to make out the masculine curvature tucked to his inner thigh. Heero's gaze lingered there a moment before noting folded legs. Eventually, he drew his eyes slowly up the other's ribcage. Most of it had been left exposed by a too-loose tank top.

Yuy's observation would end by resettling on his targets face. His gaze had returned as calmly as it had left; misleadingly vacant to spite the lascivious route it has just taken.

duoordie

Duo swallowed down the remains of his breakfast, a comfortable warm sensation settling in his stomach. "Here, le'me take your plate." Thin fingers reached out to grab his partner's dish, Heero was his guest at the moment and the pajama clad brunet had every intention if being as good of a host as he knew how. As he braced himself to rise, there was a sudden feeling of being inspected that caused him to freeze. Duo watched Heero examine him, watched those slate blue eyes settle first on his groin, only to casually float over the rest of his exposed flesh. Was Heero… checking him out? If only for the practically blank expression on his partner's face, he would have thought that was what it was. An unmistakable heat burned across Duo's face, even though he internally chided himself that his stoic companion was more that likely criticizing his physical state out of some notion of quantifying his readiness for a mission. "I'm uh…" His usually confident voice wavered with an uncharacteristic note of embarrassment, before he swallowed thickly and finally rose to his feet. "Just gonna put the plates away." He turned quickly, the tips of his barely restrained hair tickling the backs of his thighs as he did so, before the lithe form retreated to the kitchen. Duo knew he was still visible from the couch, but somehow the meager distance felt like it gave him enough space to collect himself.

Dexterous hands quickly rinsed the dishes before laying them into the auto-wash for later. Duo couldn't deny his quick beating heart, even as he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He knew it was foolish to think Heero would ever look at him in any way other than professional… he'd never considered the possibility. Violet eyes stared at the metal of his sink for a moment, as though trying to collect some of that steel quality into himself before returning to the livingroom. It felt strange to think about being in that sort of situation with Heero… suddenly his more than comfortable pajamas seemed inappropriate, yet he knew it would be weird to suddenly excuse himself to his bedroom for clothing that offered more coverage. A moment of stubborness shot though him, and Duo shook his head. It was his apartment and he could wear whatever he liked. Yet he still lingered in the kitchen.

noheero

They had showered together beneath cold water. They had struggled into stolen uniforms while standing back to back and had slept close enough to feel one another's body heat while imprisoned in metal cells. Nudity wasn't a new factor in their friendship; however the circumstances of nudity had changed.

During the war, Death had loomed over them in cramped locker rooms and moldy shower stalls, rendering momentary exposure irrelevant. Now, Death was no longer a viable distraction. Heero could see Duo, perhaps for the first time, and was reaching the conclusion that he didn't want to unsee him.

He watched his partner cross from the sofa to the sink; watched the way Duo's lower back lead the sway of his buttocks and the way his hair trickled downwards like a chestnut-colored curtain. He noted the rushed way in which Duo's hands moved over their dishes and the thick sheen of soap bubbles that pooled between his working fingers. He observed that, even though their plates had been thoroughly scrubbed and loaded, Maxwell was procrastinating his return to the couch.

The shift in atmosphere seemed to warrant an explanation. Heero provided one for his stare, but lacked the decency to avert it. "Had a dream with you in it."

duoordie

Heero's voice shocked Duo out of his thoughts. There was no point in idle speculation, especially when it came to his partner. He shook his head again, feeling his hair swoosh against his back as though the errant thoughts could be removed like dust. He quickly dried off his hands on a nearby towel, before he finally moved back into the livingroom. He was used to the force of Heero's stare, an unwavering gaze that always seemed to be looking for more details and information that Duo's bared skin could currently offer. "Yeah?" A current of excitement and curiosity evidant in his tone and the long haired brunet plopped down on his couch. His movement held an unneeded dramatic bent, as though that would somehow distract from the heat still evident on his cheeks. "Was I doing something cool?" An easy smile accompanied the words.

noheero

Heero's brows briefly pulled together. They displayed something between contemplation and confusion. He wasn't sure how to convey what he'd dreamt. 'Cool' didn't seem to be the right descriptor, though. There was a long pause before 01 opted for charades.

Heero reached behind his back to mime the draw of a gun. The motion was so practiced that his hand appeared heavier when it re-emerged. He had formed a barrell with his index and middle finger, which would be aimed directly at his partner's face with a disturbing amount of sincerity.

Heero moved forward, pressing his fingertips sternly against Duo's mouth before a wall of stunned silence could be erected between them. 02's lips were softer than he'd expected - warmer and slightly parted by impending speech.

duoordie

An attentive expression was painted on Duo's face as he watched his partner. Heero never seemed like the type to hesitate, but he was surprisingly thoughtful. As partners, that particular expression had become familiar. Usually it meant the messy haired brunet was trying very hard to find the right words… but action was a more familiar language to both of them.

Duo wouldn't admit it but watching Heero pantomime drawing a gun, just for a moment, his mind supplied the image of a weapon and a small spark of fear lit in his stomach. It faded quickly, as his partner pointed two fingers at him, a child's rendition of death. The stoic pilot's motion was deadly smooth, even without the presence of a real firearm. It was convincing in a strange way. The music faded as Heero moved forward, a serious expression on his face. Duo felt captive to eye contact, unable to look away as the other male moved closer to him, his partners hand still holding the shape of a gun.

Warm fingers made contact with his lips, a soft pressure. Duo felt a completely childish impulse of his own and quickly stuck out his tongue. The wet muscle greeted the digits as they pressed against his mouth. With anyone else, it would have been funny. Like when he and the other orphans would run around L2, someone would clamp their hand across your mouth and you'd lick. There would be an exclamation of disgust, someone would say 'ew!' or 'gross!' but everyone would laugh.

Instead, Duo was greeted with Heero's unwavering gaze. A ghost taste of their breakfast lingered on the others outstretched digits, a touch of salt and oil. Still, Heero didn't move.

noheero

Duo appeared calm. Even as his teeth unclamped to surrender against foreign fingers, his eyebrows boasted a daring disposition. His lavender gaze reflected interest, rather than bewilderment. This was a game he was willing to play; a game he intended to win.

His tongue would turn the tables completely, just as it had in Heero's dream. It slipped forward like a pink flower petal to negate the other's threat. Heero remained stationary, as Heero had been known to do. He refused to give more than a sharp blink in response to his moistened digits.

Then, the heat of his comrade's mouth assaulted the underside his 'weapon'. Breath tickled over the top of his thumb and journeyed towards his wrist. He couldn't help but swallow as Duo opened his mouth to invite further contact. He couldn't help but accept the invitation.

Heero slowly pressed into the depths of his partner and followed though by tracing the roof of Duo's mouth back towards pearly teeth. He did so with the edge of his index finger, barely stroking while in retreat. His knuckles were gentle scraped between upper and lower incisors.

duoordie

Duo's hands grabbed at the sides of the couch as he felt Heero's fingers push into his mouth. What was happening? Violet eyes squeezed shut as his face angled upward just slightly, the unexpected intrusion into his mouth was so alien he couldn't even think of what to do. The wandering digits moved across his tongue, the aforementioned muscle following Heero's fingers backwards, before fingertips traced across the roof of the long haired brunet's mouth. The pajama'd preventer was unable to make sense of the situation, could not follow how this had developed. He couldn't describe the sensation of having the ridged roof of his mouth stroked, only that that area of his body was oddly sensitive and had definitely never been touched before. A surprising twitch occurred within the confines of his boxers.

Thin lips closed around Heero's fingers as they retreated, a warm tongue pressing gently upward against the invading digits. Duo's eyes opening as Heero's hand withdrew. If he wasn't blushing before he certainly was now. He again felt trapped by oppressive eye contact, though he could read nothing on his partner's face. There was only one thing Duo could surmise that Heero had dreamed about, and it was disturbingly sexual. "Well, um-" a nervous cough interrupted the pathetic attempt at speech. He didn't know what to do. The friendly atmosphere they had been cultivating over breakfast suddenly evaporated to be replaced by a horde of previously unthought-of implications. "That's- I've got some stuff to do, I'll see you tomorrow at work though." The words were rushed as they escaped a tingling mouth. Duo needed physical distance and time to sort out exactly what the hell had just happened, he looked towards the door, finally escaping the capturing gaze of the other pilot.

noheero

In the time it took for Duo to process (or fail to process) the situation, Heero's makeshift gun had lowered to occupy the space between them. It broke back into its five, respective phalanges and hovered ahead of its victims sternum; waiting for some sort of signal. Probably not the one that Duo provided by stammering and averting his eyes.

02's pinkness could no longer be credited to a warm room or a savory breakfast. It had bloomed down his throat and across his chest before maturing to a bold crimson. The affect only highlighted his violent stare as it darted to imply the EXIT. 01 ignored the hint. He made no effort to follow Duo's flustered gaze. He didn't stand or shift against the apartment's confused atmosphere. Instead, he remained seated with fixed attention.

noheero

It isn't Hard

A huff escaped from Heero's nose. It was accompanied by a wry pull of lips and a shrug of his shoulders -almost a chuckle, but not quite. He'd never been able to determine if Duo was truly absentminded or if he just liked to feign stupidity for a laugh.

Probably the latter.

Maxwell habitually wiped his mouth for crumbs before reaching out to take his guest's plate. He waited for it's surrender with an open hand and an easy smile. Heero obliged. His cobalt eyes dropped to the task. They sank a little lower after Duo's thumb had ensured a secure hold over their dishes.

Duo's boxers were thin. They did a poor job of hiding his shape. It was easy to make out the masculine curvature tucked to his inner thigh. Heero's gaze lingered there a moment before noting folded legs. Eventually, he drew his eyes slowly up the other's ribcage. Most of it had been left exposed by a too-loose tank top.

Yuy's observation would end by resettling on his targets face. His gaze had returned as calmly as it had left; misleadingly vacant to spite the lascivious route it has just taken.

duoordie

Duo swallowed down the remains of his breakfast, a comfortable warm sensation settling in his stomach. "Here, le'me take your plate." Thin fingers reached out to grab his partner's dish, Heero was his guest at the moment and the pajama clad brunet had every intention if being as good of a host as he knew how. As he braced himself to rise, there was a sudden feeling of being inspected that caused him to freeze. Duo watched Heero examine him, watched those slate blue eyes settle first on his groin, only to casually float over the rest of his exposed flesh. Was Heero… checking him out? If only for the practically blank expression on his partner's face, he would have thought that was what it was. An unmistakable heat burned across Duo's face, even though he internally chided himself that his stoic companion was more that likely criticizing his physical state out of some notion of quantifying his readiness for a mission. "I'm uh…" His usually confident voice wavered with an uncharacteristic note of embarrassment, before he swallowed thickly and finally rose to his feet. "Just gonna put the plates away." He turned quickly, the tips of his barely restrained hair tickling the backs of his thighs as he did so, before the lithe form retreated to the kitchen. Duo knew he was still visible from the couch, but somehow the meager distance felt like it gave him enough space to collect himself.

Dexterous hands quickly rinsed the dishes before laying them into the auto-wash for later. Duo couldn't deny his quick beating heart, even as he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He knew it was foolish to think Heero would ever look at him in any way other than professional… he'd never considered the possibility. Violet eyes stared at the metal of his sink for a moment, as though trying to collect some of that steel quality into himself before returning to the livingroom. It felt strange to think about being in that sort of situation with Heero… suddenly his more than comfortable pajamas seemed inappropriate, yet he knew it would be weird to suddenly excuse himself to his bedroom for clothing that offered more coverage. A moment of stubborness shot though him, and Duo shook his head. It was his apartment and he could wear whatever he liked. Yet he still lingered in the kitchen.

noheero

They had showered together beneath cold water. They had struggled into stolen uniforms while standing back to back and had slept close enough to feel one another's body heat while imprisoned in metal cells. Nudity wasn't a new factor in their friendship; however the circumstances of nudity had changed.

During the war, Death had loomed over them in cramped locker rooms and moldy shower stalls, rendering momentary exposure irrelevant. Now, Death was no longer a viable distraction. Heero could see Duo, perhaps for the first time, and was reaching the conclusion that he didn't want to unsee him.

He watched his partner cross from the sofa to the sink; watched the way Duo's lower back lead the sway of his buttocks and the way his hair trickled downwards like a chestnut-colored curtain. He noted the rushed way in which Duo's hands moved over their dishes and the thick sheen of soap bubbles that pooled between his working fingers. He observed that, even though their plates had been thoroughly scrubbed and loaded, Maxwell was procrastinating his return to the couch.

The shift in atmosphere seemed to warrant an explanation. Heero provided one for his stare, but lacked the decency to avert it. "Had a dream with you in it."

duoordie

Heero's voice shocked Duo out of his thoughts. There was no point in idle speculation, especially when it came to his partner. He shook his head again, feeling his hair swoosh against his back as though the errant thoughts could be removed like dust. He quickly dried off his hands on a nearby towel, before he finally moved back into the livingroom. He was used to the force of Heero's stare, an unwavering gaze that always seemed to be looking for more details and information that Duo's bared skin could currently offer. "Yeah?" A current of excitement and curiosity evidant in his tone and the long haired brunet plopped down on his couch. His movement held an unneeded dramatic bent, as though that would somehow distract from the heat still evident on his cheeks. "Was I doing something cool?" An easy smile accompanied the words.

noheero

Heero's brows briefly pulled together. They displayed something between contemplation and confusion. He wasn't sure how to convey what he'd dreamt. 'Cool' didn't seem to be the right descriptor, though. There was a long pause before 01 opted for charades.

Heero reached behind his back to mime the draw of a gun. The motion was so practiced that his hand appeared heavier when it re-emerged. He had formed a barrell with his index and middle finger, which would be aimed directly at his partner's face with a disturbing amount of sincerity.

Heero moved forward, pressing his fingertips sternly against Duo's mouth before a wall of stunned silence could be erected between them. 02's lips were softer than he'd expected - warmer and slightly parted by impending speech.

duoordie

An attentive expression was painted on Duo's face as he watched his partner. Heero never seemed like the type to hesitate, but he was surprisingly thoughtful. As partners, that particular expression had become familiar. Usually it meant the messy haired brunet was trying very hard to find the right words… but action was a more familiar language to both of them.

Duo wouldn't admit it but watching Heero pantomime drawing a gun, just for a moment, his mind supplied the image of a weapon and a small spark of fear lit in his stomach. It faded quickly, as his partner pointed two fingers at him, a child's rendition of death. The stoic pilot's motion was deadly smooth, even without the presence of a real firearm. It was convincing in a strange way. The music faded as Heero moved forward, a serious expression on his face. Duo felt captive to eye contact, unable to look away as the other male moved closer to him, his partners hand still holding the shape of a gun.

Warm fingers made contact with his lips, a soft pressure. Duo felt a completely childish impulse of his own and quickly stuck out his tongue. The wet muscle greeted the digits as they pressed against his mouth. With anyone else, it would have been funny. Like when he and the other orphans would run around L2, someone would clamp their hand across your mouth and you'd lick. There would be an exclamation of disgust, someone would say 'ew!' or 'gross!' but everyone would laugh.

Instead, Duo was greeted with Heero's unwavering gaze. A ghost taste of their breakfast lingered on the others outstretched digits, a touch of salt and oil. Still, Heero didn't move.

noheero

Duo appeared calm. Even as his teeth unclamped to surrender against foreign fingers, his eyebrows boasted a daring disposition. His lavender gaze reflected interest, rather than bewilderment. This was a game he was willing to play; a game he intended to win.

His tongue would turn the tables completely, just as it had in Heero's dream. It slipped forward like a pink flower petal to negate the other's threat. Heero remained stationary, as Heero had been known to do. He refused to give more than a sharp blink in response to his moistened digits.

Then, the heat of his comrade's mouth assaulted the underside his 'weapon'. Breath tickled over the top of his thumb and journeyed towards his wrist. He couldn't help but swallow as Duo opened his mouth to invite further contact. He couldn't help but accept the invitation.

Heero slowly pressed into the depths of his partner and followed though by tracing the roof of Duo's mouth back towards pearly teeth. He did so with the edge of his index finger, barely stroking while in retreat. His knuckles were gentle scraped between upper and lower incisors.

duoordie

Duo's hands grabbed at the sides of the couch as he felt Heero's fingers push into his mouth. What was happening? Violet eyes squeezed shut as his face angled upward just slightly, the unexpected intrusion into his mouth was so alien he couldn't even think of what to do. The wandering digits moved across his tongue, the aforementioned muscle following Heero's fingers backwards, before fingertips traced across the roof of the long haired brunet's mouth. The pajama'd preventer was unable to make sense of the situation, could not follow how this had developed. He couldn't describe the sensation of having the ridged roof of his mouth stroked, only that that area of his body was oddly sensitive and had definitely never been touched before. A surprising twitch occurred within the confines of his boxers.

Thin lips closed around Heero's fingers as they retreated, a warm tongue pressing gently upward against the invading digits. Duo's eyes opening as Heero's hand withdrew. If he wasn't blushing before he certainly was now. He again felt trapped by oppressive eye contact, though he could read nothing on his partner's face. There was only one thing Duo could surmise that Heero had dreamed about, and it was disturbingly sexual. "Well, um-" a nervous cough interrupted the pathetic attempt at speech. He didn't know what to do. The friendly atmosphere they had been cultivating over breakfast suddenly evaporated to be replaced by a horde of previously unthought-of implications. "That's- I've got some stuff to do, I'll see you tomorrow at work though." The words were rushed as they escaped a tingling mouth. Duo needed physical distance and time to sort out exactly what the hell had just happened, he looked towards the door, finally escaping the capturing gaze of the other pilot.

noheero

In the time it took for Duo to process (or fail to process) the situation, Heero's makeshift gun had lowered to occupy the space between them. It broke back into its five, respective phalanges and hovered ahead of its victims sternum; waiting for some sort of signal. Probably not the one that Duo provided by stammering and averting his eyes.

02's pinkness could no longer be credited to a warm room or a savory breakfast. It had bloomed down his throat and across his chest before maturing to a bold crimson. The affect only highlighted his violent stare as it darted to imply the EXIT. 01 ignored the hint. He made no effort to follow Duo's flustered gaze. He didn't stand or shift against the apartment's confused atmosphere. Instead, he remained seated with fixed attention.

duoordie

The hand hovering in front his chest seemed to exude a pressure the scrapper couldn't understand. Violet eyes darted back to the crushing blue of his partner's gaze. Duo could feel his heart in his chest, a slight fuzziness to his thoughts that he could only attribute to a physical response that he would never have considered directing at Heero even five minutes before. Now his thoughts were practically swimming with scenarios were he could experiance the stoic pilot's skin against his own. "Heero, could you-" the long haired preventer swallowed heavily. "Can you go?" The question lacked the usual bright confidence that Duo was near infamous for. It sounded almost pleading. Thin legs bent at the knee, pulling up in protective body language. Putting a wall of muscle and bone between the two male forms. Again he felt strangely naked in his pajamas, more exposed than he should have been. The cool apartment air ghosted across the skin of his thighs due to the change in position.

noheero

'Can you go?'

Blunt,

…because it had to be. Heero was deaf to subtleties. Duo, in desperation, had resorted to admitting his discomfort. He'd been forced to bypass all the niceties that the rest of the universe relied on and serve his immediate motive raw:

'Can you go.'

The message was received loud and clear, as showcased by a series of rapid blinks. Heero's chin lifted in a vaguely-surprised manner and, though he remained still, something within his demeanor pulled away from Duo's side of the couch.

It was a continuation of this withdrawal that eventually urged Heero to his feet. "Sure." He finished his ascent by pushing firmly against the arm of the sofa. 01's attention defaulted to the carpet, then to the door. No words softened his retreat. Would a 'Thank's for breakfast,' have been so hard? Or an 'I'll see you at work.'?

noheero

It isn't Hard

A huff escaped from Heero's nose. It was accompanied by a wry pull of lips and a shrug of his shoulders -almost a chuckle, but not quite. He'd never been able to determine if Duo was truly absentminded or if he just liked to feign stupidity for a laugh.

Probably the latter.

Maxwell habitually wiped his mouth for crumbs before reaching out to take his guest's plate. He waited for it's surrender with an open hand and an easy smile. Heero obliged. His cobalt eyes dropped to the task. They sank a little lower after Duo's thumb had ensured a secure hold over their dishes.

Duo's boxers were thin. They did a poor job of hiding his shape. It was easy to make out the masculine curvature tucked to his inner thigh. Heero's gaze lingered there a moment before noting folded legs. Eventually, he drew his eyes slowly up the other's ribcage. Most of it had been left exposed by a too-loose tank top.

Yuy's observation would end by resettling on his targets face. His gaze had returned as calmly as it had left; misleadingly vacant to spite the lascivious route it has just taken.

duoordie

Duo swallowed down the remains of his breakfast, a comfortable warm sensation settling in his stomach. "Here, le'me take your plate." Thin fingers reached out to grab his partner's dish, Heero was his guest at the moment and the pajama clad brunet had every intention if being as good of a host as he knew how. As he braced himself to rise, there was a sudden feeling of being inspected that caused him to freeze. Duo watched Heero examine him, watched those slate blue eyes settle first on his groin, only to casually float over the rest of his exposed flesh. Was Heero… checking him out? If only for the practically blank expression on his partner's face, he would have thought that was what it was. An unmistakable heat burned across Duo's face, even though he internally chided himself that his stoic companion was more that likely criticizing his physical state out of some notion of quantifying his readiness for a mission. "I'm uh…" His usually confident voice wavered with an uncharacteristic note of embarrassment, before he swallowed thickly and finally rose to his feet. "Just gonna put the plates away." He turned quickly, the tips of his barely restrained hair tickling the backs of his thighs as he did so, before the lithe form retreated to the kitchen. Duo knew he was still visible from the couch, but somehow the meager distance felt like it gave him enough space to collect himself.

Dexterous hands quickly rinsed the dishes before laying them into the auto-wash for later. Duo couldn't deny his quick beating heart, even as he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He knew it was foolish to think Heero would ever look at him in any way other than professional… he'd never considered the possibility. Violet eyes stared at the metal of his sink for a moment, as though trying to collect some of that steel quality into himself before returning to the livingroom. It felt strange to think about being in that sort of situation with Heero… suddenly his more than comfortable pajamas seemed inappropriate, yet he knew it would be weird to suddenly excuse himself to his bedroom for clothing that offered more coverage. A moment of stubborness shot though him, and Duo shook his head. It was his apartment and he could wear whatever he liked. Yet he still lingered in the kitchen.

noheero

They had showered together beneath cold water. They had struggled into stolen uniforms while standing back to back and had slept close enough to feel one another's body heat while imprisoned in metal cells. Nudity wasn't a new factor in their friendship; however the circumstances of nudity had changed.

During the war, Death had loomed over them in cramped locker rooms and moldy shower stalls, rendering momentary exposure irrelevant. Now, Death was no longer a viable distraction. Heero could see Duo, perhaps for the first time, and was reaching the conclusion that he didn't want to unsee him.

He watched his partner cross from the sofa to the sink; watched the way Duo's lower back lead the sway of his buttocks and the way his hair trickled downwards like a chestnut-colored curtain. He noted the rushed way in which Duo's hands moved over their dishes and the thick sheen of soap bubbles that pooled between his working fingers. He observed that, even though their plates had been thoroughly scrubbed and loaded, Maxwell was procrastinating his return to the couch.

The shift in atmosphere seemed to warrant an explanation. Heero provided one for his stare, but lacked the decency to avert it. "Had a dream with you in it."

duoordie

Heero's voice shocked Duo out of his thoughts. There was no point in idle speculation, especially when it came to his partner. He shook his head again, feeling his hair swoosh against his back as though the errant thoughts could be removed like dust. He quickly dried off his hands on a nearby towel, before he finally moved back into the livingroom. He was used to the force of Heero's stare, an unwavering gaze that always seemed to be looking for more details and information that Duo's bared skin could currently offer. "Yeah?" A current of excitement and curiosity evidant in his tone and the long haired brunet plopped down on his couch. His movement held an unneeded dramatic bent, as though that would somehow distract from the heat still evident on his cheeks. "Was I doing something cool?" An easy smile accompanied the words.

noheero

Heero's brows briefly pulled together. They displayed something between contemplation and confusion. He wasn't sure how to convey what he'd dreamt. 'Cool' didn't seem to be the right descriptor, though. There was a long pause before 01 opted for charades.

Heero reached behind his back to mime the draw of a gun. The motion was so practiced that his hand appeared heavier when it re-emerged. He had formed a barrell with his index and middle finger, which would be aimed directly at his partner's face with a disturbing amount of sincerity.

Heero moved forward, pressing his fingertips sternly against Duo's mouth before a wall of stunned silence could be erected between them. 02's lips were softer than he'd expected - warmer and slightly parted by impending speech.

duoordie

An attentive expression was painted on Duo's face as he watched his partner. Heero never seemed like the type to hesitate, but he was surprisingly thoughtful. As partners, that particular expression had become familiar. Usually it meant the messy haired brunet was trying very hard to find the right words… but action was a more familiar language to both of them.

Duo wouldn't admit it but watching Heero pantomime drawing a gun, just for a moment, his mind supplied the image of a weapon and a small spark of fear lit in his stomach. It faded quickly, as his partner pointed two fingers at him, a child's rendition of death. The stoic pilot's motion was deadly smooth, even without the presence of a real firearm. It was convincing in a strange way. The music faded as Heero moved forward, a serious expression on his face. Duo felt captive to eye contact, unable to look away as the other male moved closer to him, his partners hand still holding the shape of a gun.

Warm fingers made contact with his lips, a soft pressure. Duo felt a completely childish impulse of his own and quickly stuck out his tongue. The wet muscle greeted the digits as they pressed against his mouth. With anyone else, it would have been funny. Like when he and the other orphans would run around L2, someone would clamp their hand across your mouth and you'd lick. There would be an exclamation of disgust, someone would say 'ew!' or 'gross!' but everyone would laugh.

Instead, Duo was greeted with Heero's unwavering gaze. A ghost taste of their breakfast lingered on the others outstretched digits, a touch of salt and oil. Still, Heero didn't move.

noheero

Duo appeared calm. Even as his teeth unclamped to surrender against foreign fingers, his eyebrows boasted a daring disposition. His lavender gaze reflected interest, rather than bewilderment. This was a game he was willing to play; a game he intended to win.

His tongue would turn the tables completely, just as it had in Heero's dream. It slipped forward like a pink flower petal to negate the other's threat. Heero remained stationary, as Heero had been known to do. He refused to give more than a sharp blink in response to his moistened digits.

Then, the heat of his comrade's mouth assaulted the underside his 'weapon'. Breath tickled over the top of his thumb and journeyed towards his wrist. He couldn't help but swallow as Duo opened his mouth to invite further contact. He couldn't help but accept the invitation.

Heero slowly pressed into the depths of his partner and followed though by tracing the roof of Duo's mouth back towards pearly teeth. He did so with the edge of his index finger, barely stroking while in retreat. His knuckles were gentle scraped between upper and lower incisors.

duoordie

Duo's hands grabbed at the sides of the couch as he felt Heero's fingers push into his mouth. What was happening? Violet eyes squeezed shut as his face angled upward just slightly, the unexpected intrusion into his mouth was so alien he couldn't even think of what to do. The wandering digits moved across his tongue, the aforementioned muscle following Heero's fingers backwards, before fingertips traced across the roof of the long haired brunet's mouth. The pajama'd preventer was unable to make sense of the situation, could not follow how this had developed. He couldn't describe the sensation of having the ridged roof of his mouth stroked, only that that area of his body was oddly sensitive and had definitely never been touched before. A surprising twitch occurred within the confines of his boxers.

Thin lips closed around Heero's fingers as they retreated, a warm tongue pressing gently upward against the invading digits. Duo's eyes opening as Heero's hand withdrew. If he wasn't blushing before he certainly was now. He again felt trapped by oppressive eye contact, though he could read nothing on his partner's face. There was only one thing Duo could surmise that Heero had dreamed about, and it was disturbingly sexual. "Well, um-" a nervous cough interrupted the pathetic attempt at speech. He didn't know what to do. The friendly atmosphere they had been cultivating over breakfast suddenly evaporated to be replaced by a horde of previously unthought-of implications. "That's- I've got some stuff to do, I'll see you tomorrow at work though." The words were rushed as they escaped a tingling mouth. Duo needed physical distance and time to sort out exactly what the hell had just happened, he looked towards the door, finally escaping the capturing gaze of the other pilot.

noheero

In the time it took for Duo to process (or fail to process) the situation, Heero's makeshift gun had lowered to occupy the space between them. It broke back into its five, respective phalanges and hovered ahead of its victims sternum; waiting for some sort of signal. Probably not the one that Duo provided by stammering and averting his eyes.

02's pinkness could no longer be credited to a warm room or a savory breakfast. It had bloomed down his throat and across his chest before maturing to a bold crimson. The affect only highlighted his violent stare as it darted to imply the EXIT. 01 ignored the hint. He made no effort to follow Duo's flustered gaze. He didn't stand or shift against the apartment's confused atmosphere. Instead, he remained seated with fixed attention.

duoordie

The hand hovering in front his chest seemed to exude a pressure the scrapper couldn't understand. Violet eyes darted back to the crushing blue of his partner's gaze. Duo could feel his heart in his chest, a slight fuzziness to his thoughts that he could only attribute to a physical response that he would never have considered directing at Heero even five minutes before. Now his thoughts were practically swimming with scenarios were he could experiance the stoic pilot's skin against his own. "Heero, could you-" the long haired preventer swallowed heavily. "Can you go?" The question lacked the usual bright confidence that Duo was near infamous for. It sounded almost pleading. Thin legs bent at the knee, pulling up in protective body language. Putting a wall of muscle and bone between the two male forms. Again he felt strangely naked in his pajamas, more exposed than he should have been. The cool apartment air ghosted across the skin of his thighs due to the change in position.

noheero

'Can you go?'

Blunt,

…because it had to be. Heero was deaf to subtleties. Duo, in desperation, had resorted to admitting his discomfort. He'd been forced to bypass all the niceties that the rest of the universe relied on and serve his immediate motive raw:

'Can you go.'

The message was received loud and clear, as showcased by a series of rapid blinks. Heero's chin lifted in a vaguely-surprised manner and, though he remained still, something within his demeanor pulled away from Duo's side of the couch.

It was a continuation of this withdrawal that eventually urged Heero to his feet. "Sure." He finished his ascent by pushing firmly against the arm of the sofa. 01's attention defaulted to the carpet, then to the door. No words softened his retreat. Would a 'Thank's for breakfast,' have been so hard? Or an 'I'll see you at work.'?

duoordie

Duo felt Heero retreat before the other pilot actually moved. The messy haired brunet's face revealed nothing, and yet somehow Duo felt he had rejected the other boy. Like he'd missed something important. His austere partner stood, his movements like a doll with un-oiled joints. Violet eyes watched his partner… his friend maybe, move towards the door of his apartment. The long hair preventer's heart was in his throat, and before he could think he rose to his knees on the couch, his hands bracing on the back as he spoke quickly. "Thank you-" he wanted to make sure that everything was okay, for some reason he felt the need to say something to possibly reassure Heero that their situation was fine. Even though the lean youth himself wasn't sure that was the case. "-for having breakfast with me." He spoke the words to Heero's back, unsure if it was actually doing any good. "I'll see you at work."

noheero

Heero raised one hand without looking back. It was an indolent goodbye that dropped as he left Duo's apartment. He didn't feel dejected. he didn't feel much of anything. He entered the elevator, selected his floor and waited. Dependable, metal doors closed out the view of Duo's hallway and with it, a world of ridiculous possibilities. It would feel good to return to a life that was void of Could-bes.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

Heero raised one hand without looking back. It was an indolent goodbye that dropped as he left Duo's apartment. He didn't feel dejected. he didn't feel much of anything. He entered the elevator, selected his floor and waited. Dependable, metal doors closed out the view of Duo's hallway and with it, a world of ridiculous possibilities. It would feel good to return to a life that was void of Could-bes.

—–

The sound of the door closing echoed through the apartment. Even with the rock music still quietly beating through the space, it felt oppressively quiet. Heero hadn't made a lot of noise at all, never did, but the feel of his presence had been like a soundtrack Duo hadn't realized he'd wanted so badly. A sudden fatigue washed over the preventer's body, but he made himself get up and turn off the radio. At least now the undesired quiet was real. Thin fingers lingered on the power button… before foot steps moved back to the bed room. Duo practically flopped onto his bed, pulling the covers up over himself. Too many thoughts were swirling around his head, too many things he never considered, too many ideas to make sense of at once. Sleep came surprisingly quickly.

Duo awoke in the evening, feeling more lethargic than when he went to sleep. Even before his eyes opened, his mind was again full of thoughts about Heero. A frustrated groan escaped a dry mouth. A sudden decision was made, time to take a walk. Maybe that would clear his mind. Quick hands reached to grab his communicator, he had every intention of staying out late. A quick call to the office, taking just enough time to leave a message that he wouldn't be coming into work the next morning, before promptly shutting off the device. He dressed without enthusiasm, braiding his hair without really thinking about it. Jeans, tee-shirt, a scuffed pair of boots and a comfortable jacket. He walked silently out of the apartment, and then proceeded outside.

Violet eyes looked up at the sky. It was another cloudy day, the rain still making sudden appearances here and there. Looking up at the Earth's sky was… jarring. Growing up on the colonies, when you looked up you just saw more colony. The circular structures bending around itself, the constant rotation responsible for creating artificial gravity almost like being on a boat. You got used to that feeling, so much that you didn't even realize it was there. Coming to Earth… regardless of the fact that it was spinning even faster through the stars, felt like standing still. Looking up at a sky with only atmosphere between yourself and the void of space left an irrational fear in Duo's head that someday he would walk outside and just float away. He's fall away from the earth, and be gone forever. That train of thought always left him feeling anxious, and more than a little foolish. Duo turned his gaze to the ground, and started walking.

The braided youth walked without a destination. He'd wandered all over this area, looking for short cuts and hideaways, plus new places to eat and relax. His attention wasn't on his feet anyways. Heero. His partner. His sometimes-friend. His… what? Thin lips curled in a frustrated expression. The ghost sensation of fingers in his mouth made him exhale quickly. Duo felt more and more thoughts swirling through his head. He'd never thought of Heero in a sexual way before. The other male was more than attractive, all lean muscle and beautiful eyes… more than that he could understand Duo better than anyone. They'd been through so much together already. Dexterous hands clenched uselessly inside his coat pockets. But what did he want from Heero? It should be an easy question, it would have been easy to answer yesterday. He'd wanted to be the stoic pilots friend more than anything. Wanted to be close to him, wanted to be around him and laugh with him and just enjoy his company. That hadn't seemed like too much less than 24 hours ago. Now what? The prospect of a different kind of relationship was forming, or at least it seemed like it.

What would it be like to kiss Heero Yuy? Duo felt a flush on his cheeks at the thought. Their relationship had been damaged by their work… but maybe it hadn't been just that. Suddenly, Duo couldn't be certain this his intentions hadn't been trying to get more from Heero that he first thought. It felt wrong, that maybe he had been attracted to the other pilot without realizing it. That maybe what he had taken as a strong desire for companionship during the war had been more and there just hadn't been time for it amidst the chaos.

The sky grew darker as he walked, stars beginning to peak through the curtain of night as it fell. Duo kept walking, through he was in the process of working his way back to the apartment building in a round about sort of way. He'd never been in a real relationship before. Une had sent him on an undercover mission once where he had flirted his way into a party in order to observe a target. The woman he had chose was hardly older than himself, and already tipsy. It had been easy enough to compliment her, dance with her, and get free entrance to the building. The mission itself had been a bust, the target didn't even show up, but his 'date' had be more than eager to invite him back to her place. He'd politely declined, not because she wasn't pretty or anything… but because Heero was back at the surveillance point. He had been more concerned about getting back to his partner than getting laid, which for a guy of his age was more than unusual. He could have, he doubted Heero would have said anything about it. The ex-pilot shook his head. He could have went looking for a relationship, his status would have made it easy. After the war, there were no shortage of people that had made passes at him for one reason or another. Be it the 'thrill' of sleeping with a Gundam Pilot, wanting a share of the limelight, or whatever other reason…. but he'd always gone back to Heero. He had followed the messy haired male to battlefields and through office buildings. Why?

By the time Duo made it back to the apartment the sky was beginning to grey with the first hint of the morning sun, and he still felt no closer to an answer. At least, not an answer he liked. Clearly he was fascinated by Heero… but was that all it was? He found himself in bed again, a dreamless sleep carried him through the next morning. He felt bad for an instant knowing Heero would have to handle their work load alone… but he'd made up for it later. He needed some time to himself.

—–

The alarm blared the next morning. Duo showered quickly, before dressing himself and preparing to leave. He'd spent the day debating with himself, asking questions he had no answer to, until finally he decided to give up. He could chew on it all day, trying to figure out how Heero felt about him or vise-versa… but in the end he wouldn't know until they talked about it. If they talked about it at all. The best thing he could figure to do was just to go to work like a normal day.

Duo climbed the stairs of the preventer building, before pushing the heavy door open onto his floor. It was still mostly dark, he only seen a few people mulling around in search of coffee on his way through the cubicles. The sound of typing got more identifiable the closer he got to his own assigned area of the office. Quiet foot steps lead him around the corner, and violet eyes landed on his partner. The braided preventer sucked in a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and found himself somehow stuck in the entrance to the work area. The telltale feel of warmth painted his face. Heero Yuy was gorgeous, no two ways about it, yet somehow he felt like he was seeing it for the first time. Quick hands danced across the keyboard, intent on their work while blue eyes moved back and forth across the screen in front of him with hardly a pause. Duo knew he should sit down, crack a joke, say 'hi', apologize for missing yesterday, anything… and instead he just stood there, caught at the edge of Heero's presence.

noheero

Outwardly, everything appeared normal. Heero occupied his usual spot. He sat with his back straight and his feet firmly planted on the floor. His fingers tapped over keys they'd touched a thousand times before, effortlessly entering data. It was the same picture that Duo had arrived to during the length of his employment and yet, it lacked familiarity. Something was off.

An associate turned the corner before Duo could pinpoint any discrepancies. It was Janet; a defense technician who delighted in prodding sore topics and clinging to jokes that were well-passed their expiration date. She was the sort of pest that always had time to chat (or gossip) and so, her decision to avoid Maxwell's company would result in questions, rather than relief. Upon noticing him, her eyes averted to Heero and she hastily passed their cubical without comment.

Perhaps she'd sensed in advance, what Duo wouldn't realize until stepping into his corporate stall. Instead of noting additional strangeness, he would be haunted by an absence of it. The tension that had permeated his workspace for months…was gone and it had left a void as blank as printer paper in it's stead. Heero, to spite toiling less than two feet away, emitted no presence.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

Heero raised one hand without looking back. It was an indolent goodbye that dropped as he left Duo's apartment. He didn't feel dejected. he didn't feel much of anything. He entered the elevator, selected his floor and waited. Dependable, metal doors closed out the view of Duo's hallway and with it, a world of ridiculous possibilities. It would feel good to return to a life that was void of Could-bes.

—–

The sound of the door closing echoed through the apartment. Even with the rock music still quietly beating through the space, it felt oppressively quiet. Heero hadn't made a lot of noise at all, never did, but the feel of his presence had been like a soundtrack Duo hadn't realized he'd wanted so badly. A sudden fatigue washed over the preventer's body, but he made himself get up and turn off the radio. At least now the undesired quiet was real. Thin fingers lingered on the power button… before foot steps moved back to the bed room. Duo practically flopped onto his bed, pulling the covers up over himself. Too many thoughts were swirling around his head, too many things he never considered, too many ideas to make sense of at once. Sleep came surprisingly quickly.

Duo awoke in the evening, feeling more lethargic than when he went to sleep. Even before his eyes opened, his mind was again full of thoughts about Heero. A frustrated groan escaped a dry mouth. A sudden decision was made, time to take a walk. Maybe that would clear his mind. Quick hands reached to grab his communicator, he had every intention of staying out late. A quick call to the office, taking just enough time to leave a message that he wouldn't be coming into work the next morning, before promptly shutting off the device. He dressed without enthusiasm, braiding his hair without really thinking about it. Jeans, tee-shirt, a scuffed pair of boots and a comfortable jacket. He walked silently out of the apartment, and then proceeded outside.

Violet eyes looked up at the sky. It was another cloudy day, the rain still making sudden appearances here and there. Looking up at the Earth's sky was… jarring. Growing up on the colonies, when you looked up you just saw more colony. The circular structures bending around itself, the constant rotation responsible for creating artificial gravity almost like being on a boat. You got used to that feeling, so much that you didn't even realize it was there. Coming to Earth… regardless of the fact that it was spinning even faster through the stars, felt like standing still. Looking up at a sky with only atmosphere between yourself and the void of space left an irrational fear in Duo's head that someday he would walk outside and just float away. He's fall away from the earth, and be gone forever. That train of thought always left him feeling anxious, and more than a little foolish. Duo turned his gaze to the ground, and started walking.

The braided youth walked without a destination. He'd wandered all over this area, looking for short cuts and hideaways, plus new places to eat and relax. His attention wasn't on his feet anyways. Heero. His partner. His sometimes-friend. His… what? Thin lips curled in a frustrated expression. The ghost sensation of fingers in his mouth made him exhale quickly. Duo felt more and more thoughts swirling through his head. He'd never thought of Heero in a sexual way before. The other male was more than attractive, all lean muscle and beautiful eyes… more than that he could understand Duo better than anyone. They'd been through so much together already. Dexterous hands clenched uselessly inside his coat pockets. But what did he want from Heero? It should be an easy question, it would have been easy to answer yesterday. He'd wanted to be the stoic pilots friend more than anything. Wanted to be close to him, wanted to be around him and laugh with him and just enjoy his company. That hadn't seemed like too much less than 24 hours ago. Now what? The prospect of a different kind of relationship was forming, or at least it seemed like it.

What would it be like to kiss Heero Yuy? Duo felt a flush on his cheeks at the thought. Their relationship had been damaged by their work… but maybe it hadn't been just that. Suddenly, Duo couldn't be certain this his intentions hadn't been trying to get more from Heero that he first thought. It felt wrong, that maybe he had been attracted to the other pilot without realizing it. That maybe what he had taken as a strong desire for companionship during the war had been more and there just hadn't been time for it amidst the chaos.

The sky grew darker as he walked, stars beginning to peak through the curtain of night as it fell. Duo kept walking, through he was in the process of working his way back to the apartment building in a round about sort of way. He'd never been in a real relationship before. Une had sent him on an undercover mission once where he had flirted his way into a party in order to observe a target. The woman he had chose was hardly older than himself, and already tipsy. It had been easy enough to compliment her, dance with her, and get free entrance to the building. The mission itself had been a bust, the target didn't even show up, but his 'date' had be more than eager to invite him back to her place. He'd politely declined, not because she wasn't pretty or anything… but because Heero was back at the surveillance point. He had been more concerned about getting back to his partner than getting laid, which for a guy of his age was more than unusual. He could have, he doubted Heero would have said anything about it. The ex-pilot shook his head. He could have went looking for a relationship, his status would have made it easy. After the war, there were no shortage of people that had made passes at him for one reason or another. Be it the 'thrill' of sleeping with a Gundam Pilot, wanting a share of the limelight, or whatever other reason…. but he'd always gone back to Heero. He had followed the messy haired male to battlefields and through office buildings. Why?

By the time Duo made it back to the apartment the sky was beginning to grey with the first hint of the morning sun, and he still felt no closer to an answer. At least, not an answer he liked. Clearly he was fascinated by Heero… but was that all it was? He found himself in bed again, a dreamless sleep carried him through the next morning. He felt bad for an instant knowing Heero would have to handle their work load alone… but he'd made up for it later. He needed some time to himself.

—–

The alarm blared the next morning. Duo showered quickly, before dressing himself and preparing to leave. He'd spent the day debating with himself, asking questions he had no answer to, until finally he decided to give up. He could chew on it all day, trying to figure out how Heero felt about him or vise-versa… but in the end he wouldn't know until they talked about it. If they talked about it at all. The best thing he could figure to do was just to go to work like a normal day.

Duo climbed the stairs of the preventer building, before pushing the heavy door open onto his floor. It was still mostly dark, he only seen a few people mulling around in search of coffee on his way through the cubicles. The sound of typing got more identifiable the closer he got to his own assigned area of the office. Quiet foot steps lead him around the corner, and violet eyes landed on his partner. The braided preventer sucked in a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and found himself somehow stuck in the entrance to the work area. The telltale feel of warmth painted his face. Heero Yuy was gorgeous, no two ways about it, yet somehow he felt like he was seeing it for the first time. Quick hands danced across the keyboard, intent on their work while blue eyes moved back and forth across the screen in front of him with hardly a pause. Duo knew he should sit down, crack a joke, say 'hi', apologize for missing yesterday, anything… and instead he just stood there, caught at the edge of Heero's presence.

noheero

Outwardly, everything appeared normal. Heero occupied his usual spot. He sat with his back straight and his feet firmly planted on the floor. His fingers tapped over keys they'd touched a thousand times before, effortlessly entering data. It was the same picture that Duo had arrived to during the length of his employment and yet, it lacked familiarity. Something was off.

An associate turned the corner before Duo could pinpoint any discrepancies. It was Janet; a defense technician who delighted in prodding sore topics and clinging to jokes that were well-passed their expiration date. She was the sort of pest that always had time to chat (or gossip) and so, her decision to avoid Maxwell's company would result in questions, rather than relief. Upon noticing him, her eyes averted to Heero and she hastily passed their cubical without comment.

Perhaps she'd sensed in advance, what Duo wouldn't realize until stepping into his corporate stall. Instead of noting additional strangeness, he would be haunted by an absence of it. The tension that had permeated his workspace for months…was gone and it had left a void as blank as printer paper in it's stead. Heero, to spite toiling less than two feet away, emitted no presence.

duoordie

Duo saw Janet divert course away from their cubicle, the oddness of that change in route shocked him out of his stupor. The braided preventer sat down at his desk and began tearing into his own pile of work. "Gonna be a busy one…" He murmured quietly, the only real acknowledgement he gave to the other pilot. Even as he did his best to really focus on the assignments, violet eyes would glance at his partner every so often. Heero looked like an advert for proper computer poster, feet flat on the floor spread evenly apart, back completely straight, and long fingers dancing over the keyboard without any visible effort. Duo felt jealous of the keyboard for a moment, wondering about what it would be like to have those hands moving over his flesh instead. A strangled cough left his throat, before he brought his attention back to his own pile of paperwork. Continually, his thoughts drifted to the inappropriate… he remembered the intense expression on Heero's face as he'd moved towards him… imagined those fingers as a more delicate part of the severe male's anatomy… The more he tried to avoid such thoughts the more they seemed to crash into his mind. Not even the easy monotony of paperwork could distract him from his wondering imagination. A telltale shift in his pants kept a warmth on his face.

The day passed with little to no interaction between the two. His offer to take lunch together was rejected, as usual. The sun began to arch through the windows and a nearly defeated sensation took root in Duo's heart. He had felt closer to Heero in the last few days than he had all year… and now where were they? Thoughts swirled in his head. Was it something he had done, something he had not done, that had brought their progress to a halt? How could he find the right thing to say, when he kept thinking of his friend in compromising positions? How could he repair what had been so recently stunted? Thin lips stayed pressed together, even while curious eyes stole glaces at his austere partner whenever he thought he wouldn't be noticed.

noheero

"Need something?" Apparently, Duo's frequent glances and been felt. Heero didn't turn from his desk to witness the latest one, but his typing slowed to a stop. In twenty-five minutes, their shift would end. If there was something to be said, now was the opportune time to say it.

duoordie

It Isn't Hard

noheero

Heero raised one hand without looking back. It was an indolent goodbye that dropped as he left Duo's apartment. He didn't feel dejected. he didn't feel much of anything. He entered the elevator, selected his floor and waited. Dependable, metal doors closed out the view of Duo's hallway and with it, a world of ridiculous possibilities. It would feel good to return to a life that was void of Could-bes.

—–

The sound of the door closing echoed through the apartment. Even with the rock music still quietly beating through the space, it felt oppressively quiet. Heero hadn't made a lot of noise at all, never did, but the feel of his presence had been like a soundtrack Duo hadn't realized he'd wanted so badly. A sudden fatigue washed over the preventer's body, but he made himself get up and turn off the radio. At least now the undesired quiet was real. Thin fingers lingered on the power button… before foot steps moved back to the bed room. Duo practically flopped onto his bed, pulling the covers up over himself. Too many thoughts were swirling around his head, too many things he never considered, too many ideas to make sense of at once. Sleep came surprisingly quickly.

Duo awoke in the evening, feeling more lethargic than when he went to sleep. Even before his eyes opened, his mind was again full of thoughts about Heero. A frustrated groan escaped a dry mouth. A sudden decision was made, time to take a walk. Maybe that would clear his mind. Quick hands reached to grab his communicator, he had every intention of staying out late. A quick call to the office, taking just enough time to leave a message that he wouldn't be coming into work the next morning, before promptly shutting off the device. He dressed without enthusiasm, braiding his hair without really thinking about it. Jeans, tee-shirt, a scuffed pair of boots and a comfortable jacket. He walked silently out of the apartment, and then proceeded outside.

Violet eyes looked up at the sky. It was another cloudy day, the rain still making sudden appearances here and there. Looking up at the Earth's sky was… jarring. Growing up on the colonies, when you looked up you just saw more colony. The circular structures bending around itself, the constant rotation responsible for creating artificial gravity almost like being on a boat. You got used to that feeling, so much that you didn't even realize it was there. Coming to Earth… regardless of the fact that it was spinning even faster through the stars, felt like standing still. Looking up at a sky with only atmosphere between yourself and the void of space left an irrational fear in Duo's head that someday he would walk outside and just float away. He's fall away from the earth, and be gone forever. That train of thought always left him feeling anxious, and more than a little foolish. Duo turned his gaze to the ground, and started walking.

The braided youth walked without a destination. He'd wandered all over this area, looking for short cuts and hideaways, plus new places to eat and relax. His attention wasn't on his feet anyways. Heero. His partner. His sometimes-friend. His… what? Thin lips curled in a frustrated expression. The ghost sensation of fingers in his mouth made him exhale quickly. Duo felt more and more thoughts swirling through his head. He'd never thought of Heero in a sexual way before. The other male was more than attractive, all lean muscle and beautiful eyes… more than that he could understand Duo better than anyone. They'd been through so much together already. Dexterous hands clenched uselessly inside his coat pockets. But what did he want from Heero? It should be an easy question, it would have been easy to answer yesterday. He'd wanted to be the stoic pilots friend more than anything. Wanted to be close to him, wanted to be around him and laugh with him and just enjoy his company. That hadn't seemed like too much less than 24 hours ago. Now what? The prospect of a different kind of relationship was forming, or at least it seemed like it.

What would it be like to kiss Heero Yuy? Duo felt a flush on his cheeks at the thought. Their relationship had been damaged by their work… but maybe it hadn't been just that. Suddenly, Duo couldn't be certain this his intentions hadn't been trying to get more from Heero that he first thought. It felt wrong, that maybe he had been attracted to the other pilot without realizing it. That maybe what he had taken as a strong desire for companionship during the war had been more and there just hadn't been time for it amidst the chaos.

The sky grew darker as he walked, stars beginning to peak through the curtain of night as it fell. Duo kept walking, through he was in the process of working his way back to the apartment building in a round about sort of way. He'd never been in a real relationship before. Une had sent him on an undercover mission once where he had flirted his way into a party in order to observe a target. The woman he had chose was hardly older than himself, and already tipsy. It had been easy enough to compliment her, dance with her, and get free entrance to the building. The mission itself had been a bust, the target didn't even show up, but his 'date' had be more than eager to invite him back to her place. He'd politely declined, not because she wasn't pretty or anything… but because Heero was back at the surveillance point. He had been more concerned about getting back to his partner than getting laid, which for a guy of his age was more than unusual. He could have, he doubted Heero would have said anything about it. The ex-pilot shook his head. He could have went looking for a relationship, his status would have made it easy. After the war, there were no shortage of people that had made passes at him for one reason or another. Be it the 'thrill' of sleeping with a Gundam Pilot, wanting a share of the limelight, or whatever other reason…. but he'd always gone back to Heero. He had followed the messy haired male to battlefields and through office buildings. Why?

By the time Duo made it back to the apartment the sky was beginning to grey with the first hint of the morning sun, and he still felt no closer to an answer. At least, not an answer he liked. Clearly he was fascinated by Heero… but was that all it was? He found himself in bed again, a dreamless sleep carried him through the next morning. He felt bad for an instant knowing Heero would have to handle their work load alone… but he'd made up for it later. He needed some time to himself.

—–

The alarm blared the next morning. Duo showered quickly, before dressing himself and preparing to leave. He'd spent the day debating with himself, asking questions he had no answer to, until finally he decided to give up. He could chew on it all day, trying to figure out how Heero felt about him or vise-versa… but in the end he wouldn't know until they talked about it. If they talked about it at all. The best thing he could figure to do was just to go to work like a normal day.

Duo climbed the stairs of the preventer building, before pushing the heavy door open onto his floor. It was still mostly dark, he only seen a few people mulling around in search of coffee on his way through the cubicles. The sound of typing got more identifiable the closer he got to his own assigned area of the office. Quiet foot steps lead him around the corner, and violet eyes landed on his partner. The braided preventer sucked in a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and found himself somehow stuck in the entrance to the work area. The telltale feel of warmth painted his face. Heero Yuy was gorgeous, no two ways about it, yet somehow he felt like he was seeing it for the first time. Quick hands danced across the keyboard, intent on their work while blue eyes moved back and forth across the screen in front of him with hardly a pause. Duo knew he should sit down, crack a joke, say 'hi', apologize for missing yesterday, anything… and instead he just stood there, caught at the edge of Heero's presence.

noheero

Outwardly, everything appeared normal. Heero occupied his usual spot. He sat with his back straight and his feet firmly planted on the floor. His fingers tapped over keys they'd touched a thousand times before, effortlessly entering data. It was the same picture that Duo had arrived to during the length of his employment and yet, it lacked familiarity. Something was off.

An associate turned the corner before Duo could pinpoint any discrepancies. It was Janet; a defense technician who delighted in prodding sore topics and clinging to jokes that were well-passed their expiration date. She was the sort of pest that always had time to chat (or gossip) and so, her decision to avoid Maxwell's company would result in questions, rather than relief. Upon noticing him, her eyes averted to Heero and she hastily passed their cubical without comment.

Perhaps she'd sensed in advance, what Duo wouldn't realize until stepping into his corporate stall. Instead of noting additional strangeness, he would be haunted by an absence of it. The tension that had permeated his workspace for months…was gone and it had left a void as blank as printer paper in it's stead. Heero, to spite toiling less than two feet away, emitted no presence.

duoordie

Duo saw Janet divert course away from their cubicle, the oddness of that change in route shocked him out of his stupor. The braided preventer sat down at his desk and began tearing into his own pile of work. "Gonna be a busy one…" He murmured quietly, the only real acknowledgement he gave to the other pilot. Even as he did his best to really focus on the assignments, violet eyes would glance at his partner every so often. Heero looked like an advert for proper computer poster, feet flat on the floor spread evenly apart, back completely straight, and long fingers dancing over the keyboard without any visible effort. Duo felt jealous of the keyboard for a moment, wondering about what it would be like to have those hands moving over his flesh instead. A strangled cough left his throat, before he brought his attention back to his own pile of paperwork. Continually, his thoughts drifted to the inappropriate… he remembered the intense expression on Heero's face as he'd moved towards him… imagined those fingers as a more delicate part of the severe male's anatomy… The more he tried to avoid such thoughts the more they seemed to crash into his mind. Not even the easy monotony of paperwork could distract him from his wondering imagination. A telltale shift in his pants kept a warmth on his face.

The day passed with little to no interaction between the two. His offer to take lunch together was rejected, as usual. The sun began to arch through the windows and a nearly defeated sensation took root in Duo's heart. He had felt closer to Heero in the last few days than he had all year… and now where were they? Thoughts swirled in his head. Was it something he had done, something he had not done, that had brought their progress to a halt? How could he find the right thing to say, when he kept thinking of his friend in compromising positions? How could he repair what had been so recently stunted? Thin lips stayed pressed together, even while curious eyes stole glaces at his austere partner whenever he thought he wouldn't be noticed.

noheero

"Need something?" Apparently, Duo's frequent glances and been felt. Heero didn't turn from his desk to witness the latest one, but his typing slowed to a stop. In twenty-five minutes, their shift would end. If there was something to be said, now was the opportune time to say it.

duoordie

"I-" The usually talkative brunet suddenly felt like his tongue was too big for his mouth, words clashed into useless syllables in his brain and nothing of value seemed to my able to make it past floundering lips. Duo exhaled with a frustrated sigh, an expression of confusion evident on his face. "…do you even like me?" A simple question, only five words, but there was so much more he was trying to say. Hidden in those words were so many different worries. Was he an annoyance, was his constant bid for the other's time unwelcome? Did the other pilot even care for his company or was it just that Duo had continued to follow him around without ever really asking for his opinion on the matter. Violet eyes searched the blank face in front of him before landing on the other's slate gaze with a near pleaded set to his own features.

noheero

'I-'

Heero listened through an uncomfortable collection of seconds. His pause was dangerously placed, inviting all of Duo's unease to pour into the open.

'Do you even like me?'

"Doesn't matter. I'm done here. Submitted my resignation this morning. By Monday, I'll be gone and you'll be sharing this cubical with a replacement."

He didn't remember making the decision to confront Duo's vulnerability head-on and yet, his chair had swiveled to do so. Because confrontation was what Heero did best. He waited beneath a shield of apathy, intent on watching the destruction of their friendship from a distance. Like so many crumbling structures, like so many decommissioned mobile suits.

Just one more detonation.

noheero

It Isn't Hard

Heero was immune. He remained seated within the confines of Duo's shadow, displaying less emotion than a paperclip. One hand rested at the base of the keyboard. The other had dropped to his lap. Both extremities were relaxed because Heero Yuy's standard for an emergency was too damn high. He could put on a good show; gripe about reports and policies like a proper paper pusher, but at the end of the day he was still surviving a war.

He was still aware that half-burned bodies didn't curl in on themselves, like the fully-charred ones. And that human limbs detached easier than they should have. He was still recalling instances that had taken more than one shot and, occasionally, wishing he'd saved a bullet for himself…because torture could come in many forms and last for a very long time.

A full shift, in fact.

His eyes abandoned Duo's face in favor of the clock's. Knowing the atrocities that had lead to the present hour, made it difficult to invest in. Companionship was a small thing, really. Another obligation, demanded by a world that didn't feel right. Heero had tried to comply, perhaps harder than Duo would ever realize. But he'd failed. It wasn't for him and, in the grand scheme of things, that didn't seem to matter much…

noheero

It Isn't Hard

Heero was immune. He remained seated within the confines of Duo's shadow, displaying less emotion than a paperclip. One hand rested at the base of the keyboard. The other had dropped to his lap. Both extremities were relaxed because Heero Yuy's standard for an emergency was too damn high. He could put on a good show; gripe about reports and policies like a proper paper pusher, but at the end of the day he was still surviving a war.

He was still aware that half-burned bodies didn't curl in on themselves, like the fully-charred ones. And that human limbs detached easier than they should have. He was still recalling instances that had taken more than one shot and, occasionally, wishing he'd saved a bullet for himself…because torture could come in many forms and last for a very long time.

A full shift, in fact.

His eyes abandoned Duo's face in favor of the clock's. Knowing the atrocities that had lead to the present hour, made it difficult to invest in. Companionship was a small thing, really. Another obligation, demanded by a world that didn't feel right. Heero had tried to comply, perhaps harder than Duo would ever realize. But he'd failed. It wasn't for him and, in the grand scheme of things, that didn't seem to matter much…

duoordie

Duo stood in front of Heero, his chest rising and falling with quick breaths… and watched those clear blue eyes wonder away from him with an air of boredom. Dexterous hands shot out, more rapidly than even the perfect soldier could react to, and quickly grabbed onto the other's preventer jacket. Tense fingers curled around the material and pulled, dragging the other male to his feet. Duo's vision shrunk to a completely focused tunnel. The office didn't exist, their jobs didn't exist, no co-worker or announcement could pull him from this. He'd followed this man across the world without ever thinking why. He'd battled with him, against him - gotten through pain and imprisonment with him. "Answer me, damn it." The braided boy's body was completely tense, his teeth nearly grinding together as he spoke. He could drop everything and follow Heero. There was nothing he couldn't abandon, no possession he couldn't do without, to follow his stoic partner. But why? Why did he feel the unstudied compulsion to be at the other pilot's side… without ever considering if he was even wanted there. Thin hands gripped with near panicked intensity, as though if that grip wavered the figure before him would just blow away like smoke on the wind. They stood practically toe to toe, and yet the distance between them seemed immense. "Do I matter to you at all?" The question was spoken quietly, sitting heavily in the air between them. Violet eyes searched the face in front of him, demanding attention.

noheero

He'd receive it.

Because, the moment he'd captured Yuy by the coat, Duo had become a target. There would only be a fraction of a second in which to realize his mistake. A flash of fierce eyes. A painful collection of fingers on his left arm. These would be his final observations before the world spun out of focus.

After a tornado of corporate colors and a sharp impact against his shoulder blades, Maxwell found himself sprawled beneath ceiling tiles. Several papers were reenacting his ordeal. They fluttered down to land on the very same desk, next to rolling pens and displaced technology.

Heero immediately took advantage of his opponent's disorientation by slamming both palms to his desk and hijacking the face they'd framed.

He kissed Duo Maxwell — Hard.


End file.
